The Wolf and the Dragon
by The Dark Warden
Summary: Put simply, the Dovahkiin screwed up big time. Now she's stuck in a crazy land where dragons aren't something to hunt and kill, but protectors of the nation. And she is now bonded to one such dragon. Finding her girlfriend and fighting a war against a immortal tyrant? Just another day in the life of a Hero.
1. Chapter 1: Hello There!

_**Chapter One: Hello There!**_

Lena Nirvana was a bit miffed. She had spent the last four months in this ever so strange land with no luck whatsoever in using her magic to return to Skyrim. Due to having the blood and soul of a Dragon, she wasn't exactly known for her patience. While she enjoyed the warmth of the area she was in, all her stuff was back in Skyrim, which was really the only reason she stayed in that ice box of a providence. That and her many friends, though if she ever returned home, she'd pack everything and everyone up and come back to this place.

Okay, so introductions were in order. Lena Nirvana was a twenty-one-year-old female of mixed race decent. Her mother was Liara Nirvana, a half High Elf, half Wood-Elf woman who had raised her daughter in the Summerset Isles until they had been driven out by the Thalmor. Lena's father had been a Nordic man named Bertrand; a large man with black hair who had been built like an ox, but had a heart of gold. The man had joined the Imperial Legion when Lena had been barely eight years old. He had died in the fighting that had ensued after Ulfric Stormcloak had killed High King Toryyg in an attempt to prove the Empire weak.

As a result of her mixed heritage, Lena looked like an exotic human rather than having the alien appearance of the elves. Her Bosmer and Altmer blood mixed to give her golden brown skin, making it seem as though she was a pale human who had spent a very long time in Elsweyr. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of golden green, upturned like a cat's rather than the overly large, walnut appearance that most of the elves possessed. Her midnight black hair was cut just below her shoulders, with a single braid on the left side of her head that fell to her chin. Due to her elven and human blood, she was built not like a mammoth the way the Nords were, nor like the twigs that the Elves were. Instead she was built like a jungle cat, lean and powerful, built for the perfect fusion of speed, agility and strength. Being a werewolf helped with her physical build. Plus…her ears weren't as pronounced, so as long as she kept her hair down, no one would realize she was an elf.

Her personality on the other hand wasn't like her mother or her father. Her mother, while a bit depressed from Bertrand's death, was elegant and kind-hearted. Her father had had the sternness and pride of a Nord. Lena, on the other hand, was a mischievous little shit, her eyes always dancing with laughter and mischief. Always looking to make people laugh through stupid pranks and terrible jokes. Her fighting style echoed her personality. Decked from head to toe in the terrifying Daedric Armor, she carried a Daedric Greatsword; all of which she had forged herself, and she had named her blade 'Stormfang', after she had enchanted the weapon with electricity; that she swung around with one hand as easily as an Orc swung a twig (or a Wood-Elf). She danced back and forth, using her Beast side to greatly enhance her strength as she moved like the wind, despite the heavy armor and weaponry. She also carried a Daedric Bow called 'Ember', since she had enchanted it with flame power.

As mention before, she was a werewolf, though her Dragons blood had made the wolf into one hell of a powerhouse. So that was a thing.

Anywho, she had purple warpaint over her left eye. A mark over her brow and two under her eye over her cheek bone. Her back had a dragon tattoo that she had gotten after she had discovered that she was Dovahkiin.

Now as to what happened to her. She had been exploring Redwater Den with her best friend and lover, Serana. The werewolf had told the Vampire about the weird blood spring that was in the ruins under the skooma den and Serana, ever the excitable teenager (despite being several millennia old,) had insisted they explore it, this time with Harkon's Bloodstone Chalice in hand. They had cut through the vampires that had taken up residence since the last time Lena had gone to through the place. The blood sucking idiots hadn't stood a chance against the Dragonborn and a master Necro- and Cryomancer who doubled as a Vampire Lord. So, they had entered the main room and had been about to see what would happen if they dunked the chalice into the blood-red water (Lena couldn't help herself, even with Serana telling her that it was a terrible idea. Not that the crazy woman listened) when Lena had spotted something she had never seen before. A smooth black stone with veins of crimson across the surface. The tribrid had picked the rock up, intending to sell the stone to Belethor in Whiterun, and had gone back to dunk the chalice in the water. Terrible idea. There had been a blast of thunder, a flash of silver light and then nothing.

Lena had woken up a while later. Though she was no longer underground with her lover next to her. She wasn't next to some crazy spring that gave Vampires a temporary boost in power. Nope, she was in the middle of freaking nowhere, in the middle of the night, feeling as though a giant had just sent her one of the two moons, her Daedric helm lying next to her head rather than on it. She had heard an odd purring noise and felt pressure on her armored chest and had looked down to see something that had knocked the breath out of her.

A baby dragon, unlike any she had seen before was lying on her chest, fast asleep, looking as though everything was right in the world. What had shocked the tribrid was that the dragonling didn't invoke the primal hunger that came with being Dovahkiin. Nope, instead she felt a sense of protectiveness that she hadn't experienced before. Okay, she was extremely protective of Serana, especially since her psychotic dad had wanted to kill her just to make Vampires the top dogs in the world. (hehe, dog puns). But that was the protectiveness one felt when those they love were in danger. With the dragon, she felt…the only way she could explain it was possibly the way her mother had looked at her after her father had left.

The dragon itself was, as she said, different from every other dragon she had seen (and killed) before. For one, it was a quadruped, not biped the way the dragons she fought on a daily basis were. Its scales were like black crystals, shimmering from the starlight overhead. The dragons she usually fought had scales that looked like stone, dull and stiff. The little dragon was the size of a small cat, with a long, serpentine neck that ended in an angular head with a set of ivory horns at the back of its skull. Tiny fangs poked out from the tops and bottoms of the dragon's lips, its forked, pink tongue poking out as well, nearly making Lena snort in amusement as she spotted it. A line of tiny spikes traveled down its back to the tip of its tail, the tail itself looking like a long, serrated whip.

She must've made a noise, because the little reptile had yawned and cracked open beautiful crimson eyes. The dragon's eyes looked like crimson jewels, with wide pupils that made it look so cute and innocent. The cuteness level only skyrocketed as the tiny reptile jumped up and poked her nose in Lena's face, purring loudly as she rubbed her head against Lena's nose. The half-elf had giggled and pulled the lizard away from her, taking care not to let the talons of her Daedric gauntlets tear the membrane of the dragon's wing. She had held up the dragon in front of her face, just high enough to see what gender it was. She didn't see a bulge down there so she assumed the dragon was female.

"Hello, little one." she had said with a smile. The dragon responded by licking her nose, causing the woman to squeal and hold the dragon away from her face as she sent a mock glare at the baby. Lena had nearly dropped the dragon when she felt the feeling of childish amusement brush against her brain. Her eyes turned to the dragon. "Was that you?" she asked her.

The dragon gurgled as another emotion, this time hunger, brushed against the surface of her mind. "Well crap."

And now here we are in the present day. The dragon, who Lena had named Ophelia after her best friend growing up, was now about twice the size Alduin had been the last time the Dragonborn had seen the big, black bastard. Ophelia's scales were stronger than ebony armor, her talons sharper than a dragon bone blade. Her wings, blacker than the midnight sky they were, were absolutely massive, stretching to damn near eighty feet wide. Lena was not afraid to admit that she wanted to fly with the dragon. Ophelia's fangs were each about a foot and a half long now, jutting from her jaws to give the dragon a terrifying visage, the fangs were now as sharp if not sharper than Stormfang's tip. The horns on the back of the dragon's head had grown much longer, now having a slight upward curve to the ivory spikes. The spikes going down the black dragon's back hadn't grown as much, though they could still severely injure anyone stupid enough to impale themselves on the bones. Lena noticed a reasonably sized space between the spikes on Ophelia's back, a perfect place to sit when flying.

Lena was rather surprised when Ophelia started to speak around three months old, not through her mouth as Lena was used to, but with her mind. That had caused the half-elf to choke on the ale she had picked up from the nearby village called Furnost. Her personality was almost opposite to Lena's. The dragon was a bit more serious than the mischievous tribrid, but did have her moments where she cracked a terrible joke that had Lena roaring in laughter like a drunken Nord. She was also less confrontational than Lena was. Lena had no issue whatsoever about getting into fights, as her many scars would tell you. Ophelia preferred to defuse the situation via a nice chat over some tea (don't ask how many tea leaves it took to make enough tea for a dragon of that size.) It was almost as though she was meant to balance the Dragonborn out. Though oddly, they hadn't met any problems at all from the locals. No one had spotted them nor attacked them out of the blue, so Ophelia hadn't been pushed to fight anyone. Yet.

On that note, the black dragon was aware of Lena's purpose in Nirn. From what the Arch mage had been able to figure out, some form of powerful magic had bound the two beings together, mind and soul merged together on a ridiculous level, though Lena couldn't remember how it happened. Ophelia had refused to speak to Lena for three weeks after she had seen one of the dragon slayer's nightmares about the dragon that had leveled Rorikstead. When she finally spoke, Lena explained that most Dragons of Nirn were bloodthirsty monsters obsessed with conquest, well except for Odahviing and Paarthurnax. The black dragon had accepted that, though she had made Lena promise not to kill any innocent dragons. Ever. Lena had agreed immediately, having already agreed to that with Paarthurnax when he left to make a dragon enclave. She was a warrior through and through, but she knew when to stay her blade.

Lena was more than aware she wasn't on Nirn anymore. If she was, Masser and Secunda would've been in the night sky, along with the Aurora Borealis that she had come to love about Skyrim. Instead, there was only a single white moon hanging in the void, along with there being a crap-ton more stars in the sky. Probably why this land was so much more comfortable than Skyrim or the Summerset Isles. However…something had affected Lena on another level entire. Her magic had been super-charged, making it so she could use high level Destruction spells for hours on end before she needed to stop. And then her Mana would recharge far faster than it should've. Not to mention that her magic was no longer normal. When she used her fire magic, the flames were black-red rather than golden red. Same went for her lightning. Her ice simply looked as though someone had mixed shadow and ice together. _**(A.N. - The way the ice looked in Rise of the Guardians during the short fight between Pitch and Jack)**_

After that revelation, she had decided to test her Dragon Shouts. Same thing. Her Unrelenting Force was easily a hundred times as powerful, blasting objects the size of her mansion in Solitude several hundred feet. She couldn't wait to test it out on some bandits or maybe these 'Urgals' she had heard so much about. Her Fire Breath was no longer just a plume of fire, it was now a massive jet of flame even more powerful than any the Dragonborn had ever seen before, the pillar of flame capable of burning through five feet of stone within three minutes or so. And so on, all her Shouts had become much stronger, though the draw back was that even with her amulet of Talos, it still took time for her soul to recover from her Shouts.

All that aside, Lena was worried about Serana. The crystal she had enchanted to track the vampire said that she was in this 'Alagaësia' as the country was called. What concerned the werewolf was that Serana usually drunk from the Dragonborn herself when she needed sustenance. Werewolves could simply eat normal food if they got hungry, Vampires didn't have that luxury, they needed blood to survive. Lena was worried what might've happened to her lover if she couldn't find a willing donor, as the vampire never took from the unwilling. On the bright side, she knew the general direction of her lover, thanks to the tracking crystal. According to some of the locals in the area, (and the map she had stolen from a rather drunk fellow in the local inn) Serana was in the area known as the Beor Mountains. So that was where she was heading.

Ophelia was rather excited to meet the vampire in person, having only seen the dark haired Night-Walker in Lena's memories. The black dragon had been bouncing in excitement as they walked through the Hadarac Desert.

 _We're going to find your lover?_ The dragon asked in her elegantly accented voice. _**(A.N.- Ophelia sounds like Kate Beckinsale, for those who are wondering)**_

"Yes, Ophelia. For the eighth time since we left Furnost, we are going to find Serana." The warrior woman grumbled as she walked under her dragon's wing. "Asking the same thing over and over won't make us find her faster."

The dragon gave the equivalent of a sheepish smile as she looked ahead. The sun was just starting to set, but until then, Lena would still be cooking in her armor. She hadn't had the common sense to purchase some breaches or tunics, so she was stuck in the black Daedric armor until she did. They had been walking for about five days now, flying a bit here and there before Ophelia would get tired from carrying a woman of her weight with that much heavy equipment on. So, they were walking as the sun went down.

As the two walked, they talked, reveling in each other's presence. Lena spoke about her mother, her friends in the guilds she had taken over, how she had met Serana on her first mission for the Dawnguard. Ophelia listened in an enraptured silence, asking questions here and there to get a better grasp of her partner's personality and history. She was like a giant scaly child. Lena loved it. By the sun had set and the cold had set in, they had stopped talking, simply enjoying each other the best they could. Frankly, Lena was surprised that she had accepted Ophelia into her life so easily. Odd protectiveness or not, she should've had a bit of an issue with raising a Dragon, considering what Akatosh had created her to do.

She was shaken from her thoughts as the voice of an angry male echoed over the desert sand. She looked to Ophelia and the dragon locked eyes with her. Without a word, both nodded and lowered into crouches, creeping across the sand toward the voice, the dragon slayer taking her bow from its hook on her back as she moved.

Peaking over the edge of a sand dune, Lena nearly dropped Ember as she spotted her target. Two males argued at the edge of the small camp, human from the look of them, a female on the ground, either asleep or injured, she couldn't tell from a distance. A pair of horses, one white, the other gray, stood just off from the camp. What caught her eye was the dragon. Like Ophelia, this dragon had crystalline scales and four legs and invoke a sense of protectiveness from the Dovahkiin. Unlike Ophelia, this dragon was a brilliant sapphire blue, the campfire causing a kaleidoscope of color to shimmer across the sand. The dragon was a bit smaller, but just as elegant as the black by her side. Leaner too, built for speed and agility, whilst Ophelia was built for speed, agility and power, much like Lena herself was. The dragon looked distinctly annoyed with the two humans as the shouted at each other.

"It took us five long days to get here! What do you want to do, kill the horses? They're exhausted as it is." The dark haired one shouted to the light brown-haired boy across from him

"But if we do nothing, she'll die! If it's too much for the horses, Saphira can fly ahead with Arya and me; at least we would get to the Varden in time. You could catch up with us in a few days." The brown headed boy replied in earnest.

 _So, the girl's injured? We should probably head down there to see what we could do. Besides, there's another dragon like you!_ Lena looked to Ophelia in earnest. The black dragon nodded as Lena stood, placing Ember on the hook of the quiver. As one, the half-elf and dragon started to descend the sand dune. They didn't get more than a few dozen feet when the boys started fighting. Lena gaped at them as they grappled, coming close to kicking the wounded female as they rolled around in the dirt. Her hand curled into fist and glowed ruby red as a rumble rolled from her throat, she and Ophelia picking up the pace to keep the idiots from hurting the already injured female.

Once they were within fifty feet, Lena lashed her hand out, a shockwave of red light blasting across the desert sand to wash over both idiots and the dragon. All three froze in an instant as she rushed forward, Ophelia moving from her side to sniff at the paralyzed blue dragon. Lena ignored the boys, who were grunting and groaning as they attempted to break free of the paralysis spell, to no avail. She pulled her helmet off to set it by the fire as she knelt next to the injured woman, Arya if she remembered correctly. She was very pretty, elegant features and long black hair that looked to fall past her shoulders to the middle of her back. After quickly checking to ensure that the woman wasn't injured from the males arguing, she stood and turned to the boys, both of whom couldn't have been more than eighteen.

They both stopped struggling as her fists came to rest on her hips and her golden-green eyes locked onto them.

"An injured woman in your party and you two are fighting like a pair of starving hounds over a scrap of meat. Shame on the both of you!" she snapped as she waved her hand and undid the paralysis. The males collapsed into a sorry pile of cursing and grumbling as they detangled themselves from each other. As they stood, she got a better look at both, though she noticed how 'Saphira' was sniffing Ophelia cautiously. The taller of the two had nearly black hair and gray eyes, his body built like an experienced swordsman, but tight as a whip, ready to leap at the first sign of trouble. The shorter of the two had light brown hair and brown, almost hazel eyes. He had the build of a hunter, lean and powerful rather than large and bulky the way Farkas was. He at least looked away from the armored woman as he realized what he and his…friend had been doing.

"Well?" she snapped, causing both of them to jump. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

While she was angry at their recklessness, she wasn't as angry as she was fronting. To be honest, she was just screwing with them.

The shorter of the two answer. "Well…we got so caught up in our argument that we forgot about her…" he answered sheepishly, ducking his head as Lena narrowed her eyes at him. Her eyes flitted to the dark haired one, who met her eyes with a defiant look.

"Well, shame on both of you for forgetting the injured woman in your camp. Honestly, you're both lucky I don't slap you silly for that. Both of you nearly kicked her in the head at least three times before I stopped your idiotic fight," she hissed before turning back to the woman. "Now, I only overheard a small part of your conversation, but from what I did here, young Arya here is injured and you're heading to this 'Varden' to get her the help she requires to survive. Should I assume that she's been poisoned?"

She heard the boys gasp as she looked over the young woman's pale and clammy skin. Pulling off her right gauntlet, she pressed the back of her hand to Arya's forehead, nearly flinching at the unrelenting heat pouring off her brow.

"Yes, she was poisoned by the Skilna Bragh, a rare poison. The only cure is the Tunivor's Nectar, which is only found in two places: the Varden or in the forest of Du Weldenvarden with the elves. Du Weldenvarden is on the other side of Alagaësia, so we're heading to the Varden for help." The brown-haired boy replied quickly as Lena put her gauntlet back on with a nod.

"I have a few potions in my pack that might help slow the poison's progress, but since I've never even heard of the Skilna Bragh, I don't have anything to completely cure her."

She looked up to her dragon, who immediately abandoned her investigation of the blue dragon to trot over to the half-elf. Lena had made an enchanted pack that felt as though there was nothing in it, despite having her entire supply of Daedric arrows and her Daedric sword and shield, 'Frostmourne' and 'Blackwall' respectively, all her potions and filled Soul Gems stored within, and had attached it to the improvised saddle on Ophelia's back. Lena rose and looked through the bag as the boys stared at her, the taller boy reaching down to pick up her helm, which had him gasping as he lifted it up.

"Shade spawn!" he exclaimed as he turned the helm over in his hands. "What in the hell is this thing made of?!"

Both Dark-Hair and Brown-Hair looked to her as she rummaged through her pack. "Daedric metal. Heavy stuff, yes, but very effective for fighting… well, just about everything. Magic proof too, and that piece is enchanted to let me breath underwater." She explained nonchalantly as she pulled three Cure Poison vials out of the pack. "Do try to be careful with it. I'd rather not have to retrieve it because you went and dropped the thing down that hole at your feet." She smirked to herself as they both jumped back since there was indeed a large hole that most likely led to a water-filled cavern just in front of their feet.

"What is 'Daedric metal'?" asked the brown-haired boy curiously.

"Ebony ore with Daedra hearts in the forge with the ore." She said simply as she carefully lifted Arya's head and slowly poured the potion down her throat, stopping ever few seconds and rubbing her throat to stimulate the muscles, causing the girl to swallow even in her sleep. She nodded as she stood and approached the dark-haired boy. Without a word, he extended her helmet, which she took with a winning smile.

"Thanks. I'm Lena, by the way. Lean Nirvana." She motioned to Ophelia behind her, the dragon's head tilted like a curious cat. "That's Ophelia. Don't worry, she's a big softy."

The boys exchanged a glance before the shorter of the two stepped forward. "I'm Eragon. This is Murtagh," he motioned to the dark-haired boy beside him. "And that's Saphira," he pointed to the blue dragon across the fire.

Lena smiled wider and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Eragon."

Eragon blinked and took hold of her hand, at which point Lena shook his hand excitedly before releasing his hand and extending her hand to Murtagh, who repeated the handshake.

Turning to Saphira, she gave a stiff bow before speaking. " _ **Drem Yol Lok, Biilokah**_ "

The dragon blinked as a shudder ran through her sapphire body and her eyes flashed to the Dragonborn as she walked over to stand by Ophelia. "So, mind if we travel with you to the Varden?"

Eragon looked from Saphira to Lena with a dumbstruck look on his face. "Two things. Why do you want to and what did you say to Saphira?"

Lena grinned. "Where I'm from, that is how you greet a dragon, providing he's not trying to kill you. It means 'Peace Fire Sky', which pretty much means 'Peace, Dragon', since dragons are creatures of the sky and flame. 'Biilokah' is her name in Dovahzul or Dragon tongue. It means 'Blue Sky Hunter'. As for why I want to travel with you to the Varden, a friend of mine is apparently in the area of the Beor Mountains. If the Varden is there, they might know where she is."

Eragon's face was blank for several seconds before he responded…or rather screamed. "THERE ARE MORE DRAGONS WHERE YOU"RE FROM!?"

Lena winced and rubbed her ear, as he had been loud enough to nearly blow out her very sensitive eardrum. "Yes, but they aren't the same as the dragons here. All of them are male and most are obsessed with destruction and conquest. Neither of our dragons would fit in there. Not to mention they're all much stronger than either Saphira or Ophelia. Now, we should get some rest. I'll take first watch while you two nap. I'll wake you—"

 _Look!_ An unfamiliar voice shouted in her head. She assumed it was Saphira.

They all snapped their heads around to where Saphira was looking, Lena's eyes narrowing at the sight of distant warriors. There were five hundred at the very least, dust billowing from their heels as they marched. A standard-bearer rode before the column of warriors in a black chariot, holding aloft a crimson banner.

"It's the Empire," Eragon said tiredly. "They've found us." Lena looked at the two boys. They were running on fumes. She had a few potions that might help, along with some tonics that would get the horses back into the right form to run for their lives.

"Yes…but those are Urgals, not men." Murtagh said in a confused tone.

"How can you tell?" asked Eragon.

Murtagh pointed to the standard. "That flag bears the personal symbol of an Urgal Chieftain. He's a ruthless brute, given to violent fits and insanity."

Lena grinned as she slammed her helm onto her head. "Killing crazy people? I'm an expert at that."

Murtagh shook his head. "No. we must leave, now. Those Urgals may not have been sent here for us, but they'll have seen us by now and that chieftain isn't the sort to let two dragons get away from him, especially if he's heard about Gil'ead."

Lena shrugged. "Not sure what Gil'ead is, but if they manage to catch up, we'll just have to kill them. I've been wanting to test myself against an Urgal for a few months now, so I'm kinda hoping that they catch up to us."

She looked to her right to see Eragon and Murtagh staring at her. "What?"

Ophelia spoke up. _Maybe we can reason with them? I'd rather not spill blood unless absolutely necessary._

Lena shook her head at the black dragon. "Sweetie, did you miss the whole 'Given to fits and insanity' thing? Folk like that need to be put down, for everyone's sakes."

Lena reached into the pack again and tossed a pair of green vials to the boys. "Drink those, it'll give you an eight-hour burst of energy. I got something for the horses as well, so let's get a move on."


	2. Chapter 2: Power

_**Chapter Two: Power**_

 _ **Eragon**_

Eragon could hardly believe it. There was another Dragon Rider! And one that was obviously much more experienced and more powerful than he was. The fact Lena was able to move as smoothly as she could in such heavy armor showed that she possessed great strength. Her armor was terrifying, though when he asked her about it, she told him that while she loved a good fight, not many would be willing to fight something that looked like a monster straight out of a nightmare.

Her potions were rather impressive as well. A single sip from the vial she had tossed to him and he felt ready to take on Shruikan in a wrestling match, though Saphira had told him that it wasn't a very good idea, which he agreed with. Lena had placed Arya upon Ophelia's back, a thin fur laid across the black dragon's neck to keep the elf's cheek from being rubbed raw, even as the woman had quickly and carefully constructed a canopy from animal hides to keep the sun off the elf woman's back, before jumping into the impromptu saddle herself.

She was definitely experienced in traveling through many different climates. He could definitely see her being the new leader of the Dragon Riders, though he was extraordinarily surprised when she claimed to have no idea what he was talking about. He had explained it as Brom had many times before, the woman's eyes lighting up with wonder as he spoke, nodding and asking questions at just the right time, unlike how he just kept cutting people off. They had been traveling for several hours after he had finished explaining the Riders when a thought hit him.

"Earlier," he began, drawing Lena's golden-green gaze to him. "You mentioned that a friend of yours was in the Beors. How do you know that?"

The woman blinked and jolted in her seat. She reached down into a small pouch on her belt and pulled out a gem of some sorts and tossed it to him. Once it rested in his hands, he saw that it appeared to be a large amethyst with a gold setting wrought with odd symbols he didn't recognize. The gem itself had a bright golden light aimed in the direction they were traveling in, pulsing lightly.

"I made that to keep track of Serana," said Lena, drawing his eyes to her. "We've been close since the first day we met, and after her crazy dad tried to kill her, I made that to make sure she's safe and sound and to ensure I can always find her." She sighed, a look on her face that reminded Eragon of the way Roran used to look when he thought of Katrina.

"Wait…you two aren't…?" he asked sheepishly, ducking his head as she pinned him with a look.

"Aren't what? Lovers? We are. Why? Is that a problem?" her tone turned a bit cold and he shook his head quickly.

"No, not at all!" he waved his hands in surrender as she watched him carefully. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly and she shook her head.

"Kid, forget what you think is proper. Love is love. It doesn't make sense, it isn't proper or orderly. You love who you love. You can control who you're friends with, but not who you fall in love with. When I met her, I was supposed to kill her." She said in a matter of fact tone. Eragon gaped at her.

"You were supposed to kill her!?" he repeated. She nodded.

"Yup. She's something called a Vampire. Vampires are nearly immortal beings that need to consume blood to survive. Most prefer to hunt and kill innocent people, and so a group known as the Dawnguard was formed to hunt them down. But Serana isn't like that. She loves the speed and strength that comes with being a Vampire, but only ever drinks from willing donors. When I met her, I had been tasked by the leader of the Dawnguard to enter a place called Dimhollow Crypt and slaughter any and all blood-suckers I came across. And most gave me ample reason to kill them. But she was different," her voice turned wistful as she looked toward the sun. "When I found her, I could feel the light and innocence in her. She looked at me and I just couldn't do it, so instead I helped her get home, her crazy dad offered to make me a Vamp, but I turned it down. I thought that was that was the last time I would see her, but she showed up at Fort Dawnguard a few days later to help us take down her father. From there, I fell for her. Hard."

Lena pinned him with a look that could've burned right through stone. "She is possibly the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I would die to protect her. It's my fault we're here anyways. I was stupid and reckless, and I triggered something that should've been left alone. So here I am, looking for the woman I love." She chuckled lightly. "Damn, I sound like such a cliché idiot right now."

Eragon shook his head. "No, you sound like my cousin, Roran. He's the same way with this girl from our village, Katrina. I don't doubt she's important. What do you think she'll do about her…hunger?"

The woman shrugged. "Hopefully, she'll drink from animals until I can find her. Going for too long without blood can drive a Vampire feral. Knowing her, if she's desperate, she'll entrance some dumb bandit bastard and drink from him or maybe do that to some homeless guy. If it's the former, she'll drain the guy dry. If it's the latter, she'll take enough to hold her over without killing him, heal him and wipe his memory of the incident."

Eragon nodded, mulling over the information in his head as Murtagh spoke up. "So…you fell in love with some kind of monster?"

Lena gave the older boy an indecipherable look. "And what makes a monster? Their appearances and biological needs or their actions? According to anyone else, Saphira or Ophelia would be monsters simply because they're big, scaly and breath fire once they get old enough. But you and I know that they are not monsters. Vampires may not be normal, this is true. But Serana chooses to drink either from donors, from animals or from the homeless, and she always treats their wounds to ensure they don't have Vampirism force upon them. Her actions are not those of a monster, but those of a person making the best of their situation without bringing misery to others. Take care of who you call monster."

Her voice had lowered to the point it was almost a whisper, but the tone said she would seriously injure anyone who spoke ill of her lover.

After that, they fell into comfortable conversation, Lena speaking about her many adventures, though it felt as though she was leaving some bits out and in turn, Eragon told a bit about his life in Carvahall. During that time, Saphira and Ophelia flew off to hunt, leaving Arya behind on Snowfire while Lena walked alongside the horse. Murtagh let Eragon ride Tornac as the younger man was stumbling along. Both teens were rather surprised as the female in their party kept walking, dressed in heavy black armor yet keeping pace with them easily.

When they finally stopped, it was at the edge of a small pond to let the horses drink. Eragon was sitting on the ground, idly plucking stalks of grass as he watched their new companion clear her massive sword, a weapon as long as she was tall up to the shoulder. It was a terrifying thing to behold. The blade itself was similar to a serrated pincer, both sides sharpened to razor edges. The pommel of the weapon was crescent shaped and just as sharp as the blade. The crossguard was the same black as the armor, with the same crimson glow emanating from the weapon. What caught his eye was the sparks of black-red lightning jumping from one spot on the metal to the next. It was a weapon created for destruction. His own weapon, Zar'roc, was an elegant weapon, a wine-red one-handed longsword. The only problem he had with it was the grip was too short for his fighting style.

The steely rasp of a sword being drawn had both Lena and himself jumping to their feet, the former swinging her weapon as easily as he would swing a stick as he drew his own blade. Eragon searched for the enemy, but saw only Murtagh, his longsword held ready. He pointed to the hill ahead of them, where a tall, brown-cloaked man sat on a sorrel horse, mace in hand. Behind him was a group of about twenty horsemen. No one moved. "Could they be the Varden?" asked Murtagh.

Lena answered. "No way in hell. From what you told me, they're still leagues from here. Look at the way they're sitting. They're waiting for a fight. No doubt they're either bandits or slavers. Either way, they'll die before they can lay a hand on us." She turned to the two teens. "You two stand by Arya, I'll take point. And whatever happens, you protect her. Kill anyone who comes close to her." Her tone said that they should listen to her, so that's what they did.

Eragon couldn't help but stare at the armored woman. The entire time they had chatted over the past day, not including that short stern talking to she had given Murtagh about the nature of monsters, she always had a jovial feeling about her, her voice filled with joy and mischief. Now she sounded like a soldier, alert and ready for battle. Her sparking sword was held in hand, the tip just barely touching the dirt.

"Should we try to outrun them?" he asked as he draped a blanket over Arya, causing Lena and Murtagh to look at him. Murtagh shook his head.

"It won't do any good. Snowfire and Tornac are fine war-horses, but even with Lena's potion, they're exhausted."

"And I can't give them anymore, unless you want their hearts to explode from the strain." Lena cut in as she turned back to the horsemen.

Murtagh nodded. "Besides, look at those horses. They're meant for running. Even if the horses were in top shape, we wouldn't get a mile before they ran us down. Besides, they may have something important to say that we can use. You'd better tell Saphira and Ophelia to hurry back,"

"She's already aware of the situation." Lena said. Eragon blinked at the woman in confusion for a moment before he realized she must always keep her mind open to her dragon, to keep her updated. He cursed himself for not thinking of it before he called Saphira, explaining the situation to her as he felt her return. _Don't show yourself unless it's necessary. We're not in the Empire, but I don't want anyone to know about you._

 _Never mind that,_ she replied. _Remember, magic can protect you where speed and luck fail. With Lena, you stand more of a chance, since she is obviously an experienced fighter and powerful magician. She'll keep you safe._ He grumbled a bit as he felt her race toward them, but he knew she was right. Just from her stance, he could tell Lena had been in many a battle, probably on a much larger scale than twenty men against three. Yet another reason that she was a better choice as the Leader of the Riders.

The band of men watched from the hill.

Eragon nervously gripped Zar'roc. The wire-wrapped hilt was secure under his glove. He said in a low voice, "If they threaten us, I can frighten them away with magic. If that doesn't work, there's always the dragons. I wonder how they'd react to two Riders? So many stories have been told about their powers… it may be enough to avoid a fight."

"Don't count on it," Lena snarled as she stared at the horsemen. "There will be a fight, showing our dragons will just make them want to catch us more. We'll just have to kill the lot of them, both to keep them from reporting our position to the man in charge, and to keep them from taking anyone else." Her voice had lowered into a low rumble, her hand tightening around the grip of her sword. "People who attack others for profit or to take away that person's free will don't deserve mercy. Kill them all before they can put chains on us."

Eragon stared at the woman, feeling just a bit afraid of her. This wasn't the woman he had enjoyed talking to over the past day, but someone else entirely. He flinched as the man on the sorrel horse signaled with his mace, sending the horsemen cantering toward them. The men shook javelins over their heads, whooping loudly as they neared. Battered sheaths hung from their sides. Their weapons were rusty and stained. Four of them trained arrows on the three companions, though they had a hard time aiming since their horses seemed to be terrified of Lena.

Their leader swirled the mace in the air, and his men responded with yells as they wildly encircled the campsite. However, again the horses refused to get close, all the animals were whinnying in fear as they laid eyes on her. Eragon shared a look with Murtagh, who only shrugged in confusion as the leader shouted for his men to control their animals. Once the animals calmed down enough for the men to properly surround them, the man release his reins and examined them. Eragon and Murtagh stood on opposite sides of Snowfire, their blades raised to keep the men away from Arya as Lena raised her blade ever so slightly, the sparks black-red lightning increasing in number and speed.

While the man took in the demonic looking warrior before him, he shook himself and gave a self-confident smile. "Well, these are better than the usual dregs we find! At least we got healthy ones this time. And we didn't even have to shoot them. Grieg will be pleased." The man chuckled.

At his words, a sinking sensation filled Eragon's gut. Though whatever suspicions he had were shoved out of his mind as all the horses baring Snowfire and Tornac started to panic, and this time he could feel what the animals were feeling. Primal rage and hate boiled off Lena like a bonfire, washing over the animals and driving right into their minds. As Eragon looked to the woman, for a split second he thought he saw something. Two things. The first seemed to be the shade of a dragon, massive and terrifying, its fiery eyes filled with so much hate and rage, it shot terror into his bones. The other was smaller but just as terrifying. A massive black wolf seemed to stand behind Lena, it's blood-red eyes glowing maliciously as it growled at the men.

Then Eragon blinked and the shades were gone, but the Dragon Rider was certain he had seen them, and that Lena was responsible for them. The man in charge cleared his throat as the animals calmed, and spoke again. "Now as for you three, if you would be so good as to drop your weapons, you'll avoid being turned into living quivers by my men." The archers grinned suggestively; the men laughed again.

Murtagh shifted his sword and cracked his neck. "Who are you and what do you want? We are free men traveling through this land. You have no right to stop us."

"Oh, I have every right," said the man contemptuously. "And as for my name, _slaves_ do not address their masters in that manner, unless they want to be—" he was cut off as a serrated blade severed his head from his shoulders in a blur of black metal. The men cursed but were unable to move as Lena leapt from horse to horse, blade flashing as she either slew the slavers or knocked them from their horses. Arrows were loosed, but clattered off her armor without leaving so much as a scratch. What slavers were thrown from their horses all stood and clumped together with their weapons raised as Lena spun on her heel, left hand lashing out to unleash a maelstrom of black-red fire at the archers, who screamed as they were burned alive.

Murtagh and Eragon could only gape as they watch the faceplate of her helm slide open and heard her Shout three words at the clumped spearmen.

" _ **FUS…RO DA!"**_ she roared, the sound of thunder echoing across the land as the men were blasted off their feet, those closest to the woman turning to a fine red mist as the pressure wave hit their flesh. The rest were flung back as though the gods themselves had slapped them aside. From their screams, Eragon knew every bone they possessed had been shattered.

Lena threw her head back and roared in a rumbling tongue, _**"Meyz ruz! Los daar pah hi piraak?!"**_

The only responses were the cries of dying men as the warrior woman lowered her blood-stained blade as her shoulders heaved with her breath. She had killed twenty men in as many seconds, with more power and skill at her disposal than he had ever even imagined before.

Eragon stared at the woman as her breathing slowed and she quickly snapped her blade out, the blood and bits of flesh being flung from the blade as she quickly but carefully bent down to yank a bit of cloth of the leader's tunic. With that she sat down and began to clean her weapon, avoiding looking at her companions in the eye.

Eragon shook his head and stomped forward as the dragons landed a short way off, Ophelia looking horrified at the carnage her Rider had wrought in such a short time. "Is your brain rotten?" he demanded of the woman, who pointedly ignored him as she continued to clean her blade. "Why did you kill them?"

Lena sighed and placed her blade on the ground. She reached up and pulled her helm off, and Eragon was surprised to see her face was completely blank, no emotion whatsoever. "Anyone who takes a person's free will from them does not deserve mercy, Eragon. People like that are what is wrong with the world. I have a friend back home, named Kisisa. She was a slave for years before she discovered her magic and fought her way free. But those bastards took her from her friends, her family. Beat her bloody because she talked the way her people did until she had to change herself to survive. When we met, she was angry and scared, lashing out at anyone who got close because of how those slaver bastards treated her. I made a promise, to her and to myself, that I would kill any and all slavers I came across, to make sure no one ever went through what she did."

She raised her eyes to Eragon, her face unreadable. "Do I enjoy killing? No, but I will kill every single person who thinks they have the right to take a person's free will from them. That said, those men," she nodded to the dead and dying slavers. "Them I enjoyed killing. I will not be a slave to anyone ever again. And so long as I have the power to fight, I will slay anyone who thinks to try and control me. They were threats, to me, to you and Murtagh, and to Saphira and Ophelia. I eliminated those threats. Call me a monster if you wish, I'm used to it. But do not berate me for protecting you and yours the way I've been doing for years!"

She took a deep breath and rubbed her face. "That being said, I'm sorry you had to witness that. It was not my intention to frighten or alienate you."

She stood and slipped her massive blade back onto whatever sheath was hidden under her quiver. "Can we please just go now?"

She didn't wait for his answer, and he had nothing to say as he mulled over her words in his head. She led the way, walking alongside her dragon in silence for the next several hours. The leagues melted away before them as though wings had been attached to their feet. They turned south, between two outstretched arms of the Beor Mountains. The arms were shaped like pincers about to close, the mountain range so big they were over a day apart, but appeared to be closer than they were. It was as if they were in a valley made for giants.

When they stopped for the day, Lena did not speak as she ate only a little, most likely at the urging of Ophelia. As soon as she finished, he watched as the woman moved toward her dragon and crawl under the black wing, curling up like a child against the belly of the reptile as the dragon shot him a pointed look before curling around her Rider protectively. He still hadn't been able to get Ophelia to speak to him. Saphira told him that she seemed to be shy, and had barely said more than a few words to the blue dragon. Murtagh shook his head and looked to the youngest of their party, not counting the dragons. "I'll take the first watch," he said as his eyes flickered to the black dragon curled in a ball at the edge of the camp. "You get some rest." Eragon didn't say anything, simply nodding and moving to Saphira. She raised her wing and allowed her Rider to lay next to her, reveling in the warmth that emanated from the fire in her belly.

 _Do you want to talk?_ asked Saphira.

 _Not right now,_ he replied quietly. _Give me some time to think; I'm…confused._

She withdrew from his mind with a gentle touch and a whisper. _I love you, little one._

 _And I you,_ he said as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift away.

* * *

The next morning, Saphira took off with both Eragon and Arya. Eragon need to get away from Lena for a time, his mind still racing from the day before. As the icy wind blew, he shivered and pulled his clothes tighter. He could probably as Lena if she could 'enchant' his clothes to resist the cold. He looked to the sky and nearly scowled as it appeared that it would snow. As Saphira ascended lazily on an updraft, she asked, _What are you thinking?_

Eragon contemplated the Beor Mountains, which towered far above them even as Saphira flew high above the ground. _That was murder yesterday. I've no other word for it._

Saphira was silent for several minutes as she flew. When she responded, she said, _To us, that may be. But you heard her. She is not from Alagaësia. The rules of her homeland may very well be different. She has said that she does not enjoy killing, though she also said she enjoys a good fight. Meaning while she enjoys the thrill of battle, the act of taking a life hits her very hard. She tried to do the right thing. By your standards, it was hasty and ill considered, but it is all she knows. If it were up to me and we were not committed to helping Arya, I would hunt down every slaver and tear them apart!_

Eragon nodded miserably. _Yes, but those men didn't stand a chance against her. She killed them as easily as I would take a few steps! If it had been a bit fairer, then I wouldn't have such a hard time of it, but she outmatched them in almost every single way. She was faster, stronger and her magic was impossibly powerful._

Saphira looked over her shoulder at him. _Little one, you know as well as I that while we know little of Lena, she is a good ally to have. If what she says is true, then she has been enslaved before. The strength and ruthlessness you saw could very well be from that time and from her promise to this 'Kisisa' she told you about. If the slavers had fought you and Murtagh, the result would have been the same. We both know that few can match the two of you with a blade. Yet you seem to believe it would've been more just or honorable in a mismatched duel._

 _I don't know what's right!_ He admitted, distressed. _There aren't any answers that make sense to me anymore!_

 _Sometimes,_ said Saphira gently, _there are no answers. Learn what you can about Lena from this and forgive her. She has given no reason for us to distrust her and has even helped us move further than we would've on our own. If you cannot forgive her, then at least forget. She has not removed your head yet, yes?_

Eragon frowned as he thought back to the shades of the Dragon and Wolf that he saw behind her, the terror the horses felt as they approached the woman. There was more to her than met the eye, but he would not pry until it became clear if she was dangerous to them.

He shook himself like a horse trying to rid itself of a fly, before he looked over Saphira's shoulder to check Murtagh and Lena's position. A patch of color further back along their route caught his attention.

Camped by a streambed they had crossed late yesterday were the Urgals. Eragon's heart skipped a beat. How could those monsters be on foot and still catch up to them? Saphira saw the Urgals as well and tilted her wings, brought them close to her body and slipped into a steep dive, splitting the air as she descended. _I don't think they spotted us,_ she said as she leveled out.

He sure hoped not. He narrowed his eyes at the column of Urgals and shook his head. _Their chieftain must be driving them at a breakneck pace,_ he said.

 _Yes—maybe they'll all die of exhaustion._

As they landed back at camp, he spotted Murtagh and Lena crouched near a small platter with a bunch of vials and what appeared to be flowers and bowls of odd substances, with Ophelia watching close at Lena's shoulder. Lena was saying, "—so you crush these together after about twenty seconds and then add them to the mixture. Just make sure they're a fine powder before you do, that is very important." She dumped the contents of her bowl into a large yellow vial, which released a poof of gold smoke before she sealed the bottle. "And that is how you make a potion to increase your physical strength for a short time. This one will last about three hundred seconds, but you'll be strong enough to lift and throw your horse during that time."

Murtagh shook his head in disbelief. "And this…'alchemy' is a common practice in your homeland?"

Lena gave a light laugh that sounded like crystals tinkling in the wind, a pleasant sound to his ears. "Skyrim isn't my homeland, but yes. Potions like this are a treasure hunters' best friend when they're in an old ruin and there's too much to carry out on your own. Ask me how I know."

She handed Murtagh the vial. "Best to hold onto that for now, never know when you'll need an extra boost of strength."

Murtagh looked at the vial in awe before he bowed his head. "My thanks. Do you think you could teach me more of this when we have the time? And…maybe some of that magic you used?" he finished sheepishly, causing the woman to throw her head back with a laugh.

"No need to be so nervous. I was a teacher back in Skyrim, so I'd be happy to show you a thing or two. So long as you show me how you managed to get past my guard a little bit ago."

 _They dueled while I was gone? Wait…did she say she was a teacher?_ Eragon frowned in confusion before he shook his head and moved toward the pair. Lena perked up as Ophelia tapped her shoulder with her snout. The woman turned around and gave a wide smile at Eragon that made her look a bit…insane.

"Hey, you're back!" she exclaimed as she tossed a second large yellow vial to him, which he juggled for a second before he looked up at her in confusion, causing her to laugh. "Strength potion. Just in case you need to hit something really hard without worrying about hurting yourself."

Her slightly mad grin faded as she saw his face and she stood quickly. "What happened?"

"The Urgals are overtaking us," he said as he pointed back toward the column.

"How far do we still have to go?" asked Murtagh as he put his hands against the sky and measured the hours until sunset.

"Normally? … I would guess another five days. At our current speed, with Lena's potions, only two. But unless we get there tomorrow, the Urgals will catch us and Arya will certainly die."

Lena cut in. "Not exactly. I have a few potions that can help us and the horses move faster, and I took the liberty of examining Arya's blood before you left so I could make a vaccine for her. It's not perfect, but it'll buy her a couple more days. I'd use my Restoration magic, but without knowing the Skilna Bragh intimately, I'd do more harm than good."

Eragon nodded for a moment. "Be that as it may, we need to get to the Varden as soon as possible. The only way to do that is if we don't stop for anything, least of all sleep. That's our only chance."

Lena nodded as she began to rummage through her pack again as Murtagh's face twisted into a scowl. "How can you expect to do that? We've already gone days without adequate sleep, and Lena doesn't have a horse. Unless you Riders are made of different stuff than us mortals, you're as tired as I am. We've covered a staggering distance, and the horses, in case you haven't noticed, are ready to drop. Another day at that pace will kill us both. That's with Lena's potions."

The armored woman nodded as she spoke up. "He's right. Potions that restore your stamina, you can drink like water and be fine. But the one's that increase your stamina and your speed puts an enormous strain on your body. Meaning I can't give either of you more than one for the next week or so. We can't split up either, or we'd be run down. I can't just leave my armor behind, but Ophelia isn't strong enough just yet to carry me for more than an hour or so. I think…"

Eragon nodded. "And that's with normal Urgals. Somehow, those ones are faster on foot than we are on horse and dragon back. If we did split up, you'd be run down before you got too far, as Lena said. The only way to evade them is to find sanctuary with the Varden."

 _I don't want to force Murtagh to stay…but I can't let him be killed either. Not to mention that Lena is still a mystery to us._ He thought as he watched Murtagh fidget nervously as Lena moved to the horses and gave them both a small biscuit to recharge their strength.

"I'll escape later," said Murtagh abruptly. "When we get to the Varden, I can disappear down a side valley and find my way to Surda, where I can hide without attracting too much attention."

"So you're staying?"

"Sleep or no sleep, I'll see you to the Varden," promised Murtagh as Lena gave a wide grin.

"Awesome, now about me not having a horse…" her grin turned mischievous.

 _ **Lena**_

Lena couldn't get the image of the boy's jumping out of their skins as she summoned Shadowmere out of her head. As soon as the black horse stepped out of the shadows, both boys had bounced three feet in the air as Lena threw her head back and laughed, doubling over as the black horse cantered to her side. Once she had gotten control of herself, she was shocked to see that Shadowmere was no longer the stocky Skyrim horse she was used to, but a horse of the same height, but built instead for running. ( _ **A.N.-Shadowmere looks like a large black North Swedish Horse now. Why? Because magic, that's why**_.)

She quickly explained that Shadowmere was a spirit horse gifted to her by an old friend and mounted the horse, patting her neck as she did. Lena had insisted that Arya ride with her, so now the elf girl was leaned against her armored chest, head rolling back and forth as they rode and as the poison continued to try and take the girl from the world and into the Void. Thanks to the potions she had given Eragon, Murtagh and the horses, they were making good time. But not enough. According to Saphira, just before she had met up with them, Eragon had spoken to Arya via a mind link, at which point the elf had shown him the way to the Varden. However, the elf's mind was much different from any he had touched before, and as such he made a few mistakes here and there that cost them precious time. They gradually angled toward the foothills of the eastern arm of the mountains, looking for a valley for that supposedly would lead them to the Varden. Midnight arrived and passed without any sign of it.

When the sun rose the next day, Eragon and Murtagh were pleased to see that the Urgals were far behind, while Lena herself was a bit disappointed, as she had wanted to test the Urgals' mettle.

"This is the last day," said Eragon with a wide yawn. Lena chortled as a large bug flew down his throat, causing the boy to choke for a moment before he spat it out. He cleared his throat as his face turned bright red. "If we're not reasonably close to the Varden by noon, I'll take Arya and fly ahead. Murtagh, you'll be free to go wherever you want then. Lena, if you're truly heading to the Varden, then you'll have to bring Snowfire with you as you go."

Lena nodded as she pressed a small block of ice to Arya's forehead, frowning at how fast the frozen water melted. The young woman's eyes wandered uneasily under her eyelids, as though she was suffering from a nightmare. Lena cursed her inexperience in the mental magic Eragon had explained to her. She would've made the nightmares go away so that the girl could sleep soundly.

Later that morning, after going around a particularly large mountain that sort of reminded the werewolf of the many mountains in Skyrim, Eragon spotted a narrow valley at the same moment she did. As he pointed the valley out to Murtagh, Lena turned around and blinked in shock at the fact that the Urgals were a little more than a league away. She grounded her teeth as the Wolf within her clawed at the barriers keeping her contained, the Beast wanting nothing more than to run free and tear the brutes apart. While Lena was of the same mind with her feral counterpart, she squashed the thoughts of spurting blood and tearing flesh as Eragon spoke up.

"If we can slip in there without being seen, it might confuse them."

Murtagh looked skeptical. "It's worth a try. But they've followed us easily enough so far."

"These guys are as tenacious as the Thalmor back home. If they have mages with them, I'm going to lose my mind!" Lena growled as they turned their horses toward the valley.

"What are 'Thalmor'" Murtagh asked. The woman scoffed.

"A bunch of High Elves who think themselves so superior to everyone else, it gives them leave to attack anyone they suspect of opposing them, even if they don't have any evidence." She growled out as they approached the entrance to the valley. As they entered, they passed under knotted branches of the forest that occupied the mountain range. The trees were tall, with cracked and creviced bark that was almost black, dull needles of the same color, and knobby roots that rose from the soil like Draugr knees. Cones littered the ground, and Lena was surprised to see that each of them was the size of a horse's head. Sable squirrels chattered from the treetops and eyes gleamed from holes in the trunks. Wolfsbane hung from the branches like tangled green beards.

Fun fact: Lena had always loved the forest. Even before she became a werewolf, the Forest was where she would go to find solitude and to clear her head. But this place…it made even the Wolf feel uneasy, and because of that, Lena pulled the unconscious elf girl closer to her chest. The forest was older than any she had stood in before, and much less friendly. The forest only grew denser the further in they went, forcing Saphira and Ophelia to take off.

Without a clear path to follow, they were forced to travel through the thick underbrush, which slowed them even more. Lena attempted to give Arya more of the vaccine she had made, but she couldn't get the elf to swallow. They were running out of time.

As they moved, Lena became aware of someone watching them. She frowned and looked around, but saw no one. "Hold on a minute," she called out as she carefully twisted in the saddle, eyes narrowed as she searched the brush for their stalker.

"What's wrong?" Eragon asked as he and Murtagh reined in their horses.

"We're being watched. I just can't tell from where. Give me a second," Lena's faceplate slid back and she took a deep breath. _**"Laas…Yah Nir!"**_

The world faded away for a moment as Aura Whisper took effect, before everything came back all at once. She could see everything, every speck of life from the large birds overhead to the tiny rodents and insects underfoot. Her eyes swept around, passing over Eragon and Murtagh, both of whom were glowing bright red since they were alive and unharmed. Looking down, Lena cursed as she saw the dull red of Arya. They needed to pick up the pace. Shaking herself, she looked around and almost immediately spotted their stalkers. Many blobs of short lifeforms stood along the cliffs, just out of their lines of sight. In this place, it had to be the Varden, though the shape of the watchers… _Dwemer!?_

She nearly cursed something fierce before her sight returned to normal and she turned to her companions. "Up on the cliffs, a bunch of Dwemer watching us."

"Dwemer?" both teens asked at once. She shook her head.

"Right, you'd probably call them dwarves." She said as she threw a glare up to the cliffs, even as she dug her heels into Shadowmere's sides. Her faceplate slid closed as she passed the two teens.

"You don't sound particularly happy about that." Murtagh said as he pulled Tornac up next to her.

"The dwarves back home were a bunch of traitorous filth. A race known as the Snow Elves sought refuge with them a thousand years ago when the Nords started hunting them down. The Dwarves blinded them and made them slaves." She growled out as she kept an eye on the ridge line. She had always hated what had happened to the Falmer, especially after she had fought them the first time. When she had fought the Falmer at the temple of Auriel, Serana had had to calm her down to keep her rage from unleashing the full force of her power. The Snow Elves had been a beautiful race with such potential, only to have that potential torn away when the Dwarves enslaved them and forced them to become what they were today. It made her blood boil with hate.

They all fell silent for a time as Lena broiled in her anger, her eyes flicking up to the ridge with her hands clenching and unclenching as she tried to calm herself. Downside to having the Blood and Soul of a dragon on top of being a werewolf? One hell of a temper.

She snapped out of her angry revere as Eragon spoke up a few minutes later.

"The Varden are hidden at the end of this valley. If we hurry, we might get there before nightfall," he said as he turned to Murtagh.

The older boy grunted, hands on his hips. "How am I supposed to get out of here? I don't see any valleys joining this one, and the Urgals are going to hem us in soon. I need an escape route"

Lena spoke up. "Don't worry too much about it. Mountains like this always have another way out. You might have to climb for a bit, but you'll find a way out."

Eragon swung out of his saddle as Saphira landed close by, causing a great many birds to take off in a hurry. "I'm going to fly with Saphira for a while. We'll meet you up ahead."

Lena nodded as Murtagh grunted. "Don't fly too high up," she said, causing the boy to look at her. "The higher you go, the less air there is. Go too high and you'll both pass out."

She looked over her shoulder to Ophelia. _Fly below them and make sure the idiot doesn't do anything stupid._

 _Very well. I will catch them if they do pass out._ The black dragon replied.

The Dovahkiin grinned under her helmet. _Thank you._

Both dragons took off, the blue with a teenager on her back, leaving Lena to keep moving with Murtagh and Arya.

After several minutes of silence, Murtagh spoke up. "So why do you really hate the dwarves?"

Lena spared him a glance and sighed, reaching up to remove her helmet. "Because every time I think about them, I think about what my people are becoming."

She reached up and moved her black hair away from her pointed ears. "My mother is half-Altmer and half-Bosmer; High Elf and Wood Elf. My father was a Nord, a human native to Skyrim." She let her hair fall and looked to the gaping Murtagh. "Millenia ago, the High Elves were the pinnacle of civilization, not through war, but through their knowledge of magic and engineering and how they shared that with the world. But in recent years, they've become arrogant and cruel, treating almost everyone around them like they're little more than animals. And I hate it. My people are just one atrocity away from becoming as hated as the Dwemer were in their time. Every time I meet a High Elf with that same arrogance, I just want to…AARGH!" she growled as she clenched her metal clad hands into fists. She let a breath out as she tried to calm herself. "It just makes me so angry. The Dwarves had everything they ever could've wanted. An empire that spread under all of Tamriel, automatons that served their every whim and resources that the world above could only dream of. Yet they enslaved an entire race just to prove they were better than everyone else."

"The High Elves are the foremost practitioners of magic in all the land, but they still treat people like tools, to be used and thrown aside like trash. And every time I look in the mirror and see the parts of me I got from my High Elf blood, I see the potential of me becoming the same damned thing, and it terrifies me."

Warmth filled her mind as Ophelia wrapped her mind around Lena's, filling her with such love and devotion that Lena couldn't help but smile softly. _You are far better than the Thalmor could ever hope to be, little one and not because you have stronger magic. Because your heart is pure and filled with light._ The black Dragon whispered. _You could never be like them._

Lena shook her head, though she was giving a small smile. _Thanks, Ophelia._

The dragon gave a mental nod before her emotions shifted to embarrassment and the dragon gave an eyeroll.

 _Eragon went too high, didn't he?_ The Dragonborn grinned as Ophelia nodded in response, pulling at her mind. Curious as to what the black dragon was doing, she let Ophelia pull her along until the werewolf was looking at the world through the eyes of a Dragon. The world looked much different than what she experienced when she Transformed. When she changed to her Wolf, the colors of the world were so much more intense. Here, the blacks and reds stood out far better than any other. She watched in amusement as Eragon seemed to completely ignore what she had told him as he had Saphira go higher and higher until he slumped over from lack of oxygen. The Blue Dragon descended quickly as she realized something was wrong. As Eragon sat up groggily, she grinned to herself.

Using Ophelia as a booster, she reached out carefully with her mind and tapped on three times on the barriers around his mind. Once the teen tentatively lowered them, she shouted. _DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO GO TOO HIGH?_

Lena nearly roared in laughter as the teen jumped in his saddle and nearly fell off. The boy rubbed his head as he replied. _Sorry,_ he replied sheepishly. _I thought if we could get to the peaks, we could get a better view of the Urgals._

 _And because you couldn't reach the peak, you thought it a genius idea to keep going up? Tsk tsk tsk. That's a good way to get yourself killed. Get your ass back here and don't do anything stupid on the way._ She pulled back to her body, giving Ophelia the mental equivalent of a hug as she did, and opened her eyes with a short laugh. Murtagh gave her a look.

"What's funny?"

Lena shook her head. "Oh, Eragon ignored my advice against flying too high and passed out. I just scared the crap out of him when I yelled at him. He should be on his way back now."

Murtagh couldn't help but chuckle, though Lena could tell something was bothering him. "Alright, Mr. Grumpy-Pants. I told you why I was angry. Now you tell me why you don't want to go to the Varden."

He blinked as his gray eyes met her gold-green. They stared at one another for several moments before he sighed. "You just going to keep asking about it until I tell you, aren't you?"

Her face split into a wide grin. "Yep! Now spill it."

He let out a bunch of air and rolled his shoulders. "My father…used to serve the king. If I go to the Varden, they'll expect things of me that I can't give them. At best, they'll lock me up and throw away the key. At worst, they'll kill me on sight."

Lena scowled and scoffed. "They'll damn well try!"

He blinked in confusion as she continued. "You are not your father. You are you. Do you serve the king?"

Murtagh shook his head quickly and Lena nodded. "Then it doesn't matter who your father is. Serana's father was a megalomaniac who was obsessed with blotting out the sun while her mother was obsessed of watching him fail. All Serana ever wanted was to live her life in peace. She wanted her dad to give up his obsession and her mother to come home. She wanted a family and normal life, well as normal as you can get as a Vampire. She has no interest in blotting out the sun and she would never want to watch anyone fail unless it put her friends in danger. Now, if you did serve old Galby," Murtagh snorted at the immature, disrespectful nickname, "that would be a different matter entirely. However, you aren't. They try anything, they'll have to deal with me!" she put her thumb to her chest as she grinned maniacally.

"If there's one thing I excel at, it's protecting my friends!" she said as she gave a confident smirk.

Murtagh smile softly and nodded. But as he opened his mouth to speak, Saphira landed close by, an exhausted Eragon in the saddle. Lena groaned. "I thought I told you not to do anything stupid!"

The teen winced slightly as he shrugged. "The Urgals have entered the valley. I tried to distract them but forgot a very important rule of magic, and it cost me a great deal."

The boy yelped as a pebble hit his head, and he looked up to see Lena glaring at him. "What part of 'don't do anything stupid on the way back' didn't you understand? I mean seriously, you should've just dropped boulders on the bastards, rather than try to use magic from a mile away."

Eragon blinked as his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "H-how did you know!?"

She snorted and shot him a look. "I'm the head of a school for magic back in Skyrim. I know magical exhaustion when I see it. The only way for you to get as tired as you are so quickly is if you tried to use magic with your target over a mile away."

She tossed him two vials, one blue, the other green. "Drink those. And you stay here. Ophelia and I will deal with the Urgals."

Eragon shook his head. "Saphira said they're larger than any we've seen."

Murtagh cursed, his hand clutching the pommel of his sword. "That explains it! If you're right, then those are Kull, the elite of the Urgals. I should've guessed that the chieftain had been put in charge of them. They don't ride because horses can't carry their weight – not one is under eight feet tall – and they can run for days without sleep and still be ready for battle. It can take up to five men to kill one. Kull never leave their caves except for war, so they must be expecting a great slaughter to be out in such force."

Lena shrugged. "Eh, I've fought bigger. Giant back home stood between eleven and twelve feet tall and can knock an Orc several hundred yards with a single blow. I've killed a couple hundred on my own. Killing a few hundred short giants will be fun!"

She slid off Shadowmere and carefully pulled Arya off the black horse. With a knicker, the horse melted into shadow as she was dismissed. Lena carried Arya over to Snowfire and carefully put her in the saddle, Eragon leaping to stand by the horse quickly as Lena backed away. "You two focus on getting her as far away as you can. Ophelia, Saphira and I will go and cut their numbers down a bit. Just get Arya out of here as fast as you can."

She didn't wait for them to speak as she moved to Ophelia and hopped onto the Dragon's back, excited to get into the air as she unclipped Ember from her back as she readied a pair of arrows, smirking as she felt the flame enchantment take hold of the arrows. "Let's go!"

Both dragons roared and took to the air, the half-elf screaming in joy as she took to the sky with her dragon. Lena could tell that Ophelia had gotten much stronger over the past few weeks as she rose into the air with no problem at all, looping in the air to head back toward the Kull.

"WHOOOHOOO!" whooped the Dovahkiin as the wind whistled passed her helmet, the air slipping into her helm and blowing her hair all over the place.

 _I hope you have a plan other than shoot them with your pointy sticks,_ Saphira growled as they flew overhead.

Lena grinned. _Of course, I do. While I fill them with flaming arrows and fling fireballs at them, you and Ophelia will drop boulders on their heads!_

Lena felt Ophelia chuckle beneath her as Saphira's eyes went wide. _That…could actually work._

 _Of course, it will work! I came up with it!_ Lena cried arrogantly. _We won't be able to take them all out before dark, but with the three of us, we can cause a lot of damage._

Both dragons banked to the right and quickly descended to the Beartooth river below. Saphira grabbed a mid-sized boulder while Ophelia grabbed two smaller ones, one between her hind legs and one between her forelegs.

Lena grinned as she nocked a pair of Daedric arrows, the tips catching fire as the rested on the bow. They silently passed over the Kull horde, Lena tracking them with her bow. _Steady…steady…NOW!_

Twin trails of flames shot straight downward, followed closely by three boulders and two massive balls of fire. The arrows hit first, slipping between the branches and setting two Kull on fire, the brutes screaming as their flesh was cooked. Then the boulders hit. There were muffled cracks as the stones plummeted through the forest top, smashing to the ground and scattering the Urgals even as their comrades were crushed. However, those were blown to kingdom come as the black-red balls of flame hit the ground and detonated, blasting those hit directly to ash while those closest to the blast were set alight, the Urgals scrambling to avoid being caught on fire as well.

Lena grinned maniacally as the Urgals tried to spot their assailants, to no avail. Saphira's dark blue scales hid well in the dimming light, and Ophelia was invisible against the blackening sky. The only hit to their location was the dark red glow from Lena's Daedric armor, but at their current height and speed, there was no way the Kull would spot them. _Let's get more ammunition,_ said Ophelia with a gleeful, bloodthirsty tone.

Lena grinned. _Sweetie, I think you're coming into your Dragon side._

The dragon huffed in annoyance as she banked around, Saphira hot on her tail as they went for more stones.

It was hard work, but they were able to slow down the Urgals a great deal – it was impossible to stop them all together with the numbers the brutes possessed. The warrior woman contemplated creating one massive fireball to bring the valley down on their heads. But she decided against it since others would want to join the Varden later. So, she settled for blowing them up. Thanks to her Aura Whisper, they were able to keep at it even after the dragons could no longer see them. However, even with her enhanced magic, the Dragonborn need to rest after several hours of continuously bombarding the Kull with her Fireballs, Lightning Bolts, and Icy Spears.

Just as they were turning around, Eragon contacted her. _Take a respite and come on back. The day is almost over, and I fear Arya's life is measured in hours, if not minutes._

Lena nodded and relayed the plan to Ophelia, who nodded and turned back toward the teens. As they flew, Lena's beast eyes caught a glimpse of a line of white not too far ahead of Eragon and Murtagh. Her heart leapt in joy. _The waterfall! It's not too far ahead!_

Ophelia touched her mind and the Dragonborn opened her mind to her partner. _Do you think that the Varden know we're here? Maybe they'll send troops out to aid us._

Lena smiled at her naiveté and shook her head. _Don't count on it. If it were me, I'd make absolutely sure we were allies before even sending archers out to slow the enemy force. Right now, all we can do is stay close to Eragon, Murtagh and Arya._

The dragon nodded and followed Saphira to her Rider. However as they approached the boys, she once again heard arguing.

"—didn't you tell me this was a dead end?" Murtagh was saying as he jabbed a finger at Eragon, ignoring the Dragons as they landed and the woman leapt from her saddle.

Eragon bristled as Lena moved past him to check on Arya. Creating an orb of light, Lena cursed as the elf's pale and gaunt face came into view. They needed to move, now!

"All I knew was were we had to go, not what lay between. Don't blame me for choosing to come." The farm boy said, his eyes narrowing at his friend.

"We don't have time for this!" Lena said as she began to lead Snowfire toward the waterfall. The boys ignored her.

Murtagh's breath was hissing out between his teeth as he furiously spun away from Eragon. The farm boy himself stood with tense shoulders and a vein throbbed in the side of his neck. He stood with his hands on his hips, impatience rising.

 _What is going on?_ Ophelia asked as she looked between the two.

 _Boys being idiots, that's what._ Lena growled as she let the golden light of her healing magic wash over the elf in an effort to keep her stable as the boys continued to argue.

"What's your quarrel with the Varden? It can't be so terrible that you must keep it hidden even now. Would you rather fight the Kull than reveal it? How many times will we go through this before you trust me?" Eragon demanded of Murtagh.

 _They do realize we have Urgals pursuing us, right?_ Ophelia asked with a tilted head. Lena sighed.

"Murtagh, you have to tell him. Don't let him walk into the arms of the Varden without knowing how they will react to you." Lena said as she continued to pour healing energy into the Elf.

Eragon whipped his head around. "She knows!?"

Lena nodded. "I can be very persuasive when I want to be. Plus, it was trade of info. I told him why I was so angry about the dwarves, he told me why he didn't want to go to the Varden." She shrugged. "Seemed like a fair deal at the time."

Murtagh looked from Eragon to Lena and back, his breathing hard and fast. He looked like a cornered wolf. He paused and looked to Lena. At her nod, he took a deep breath and in a tortured voice, said "You have a right to know. I … I am the son of Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn"

Lena watched as Eragon's mouth dropped open and she stepped forward. "Before you jump to conclusions, he isn't working for the king. He just wants to be left alone."

Eragon shook his head. "You are his heir?" he asked in a low whisper, slowly reaching toward his sword.

In a flash of black metal, Stormfang was at his throat, black-red lightning sparking along the serrated blade as Saphira roared in anger and Ophelia took a position behind her Rider, teeth bared in warning. Lena didn't blink. "Don't start a fight, Eragon. You've seen what I can do. I really don't want to have to hurt you. Just hear him out before you decide how you feel."

Murtagh cut in. "I didn't choose this!" he cried, anguish flowing off him in waves. Lena lowered her blade as she turned to the teen just in time to see him pull his tunic off and turn around. "Look!" he pleaded.

Lena gasped at what she was seeing. Against the tanned and muscled skin of Murtagh's back was a knotted white scar that stretched form his right shoulder to his left hip. Her eyes narrowed even as they bled from golden-green into bloody crimson. Whoever was responsible for that scar would die painfully.

"See that?" demanded Murtagh bitterly. He spoke quickly, sounding relieved to have his secret out in the open. "I was only three when I got it. During one of his many drunken rages, Morzan threw his sword at me as I ran by. My back was laid open by the very sword you now carry – the only thing I expected to receive as inheritance, until Brom stole it from my father's corpse. I was lucky, I suppose – there was a healer nearby who kept me from dying. You must understand, I have no love for the Empire or the king. I have no allegiance to them, nor do I mean you harm!" he pleaded franticly.

Lena calmly returned Stormfang back to the sheath on her back and moved to stand by Arya. Eragon took a shuddering breath. "Then your father," he started in a faltering voice, "was killed by…"

"Yes, Brom" said Murtagh miserably. He pulled his tunic back down just as a horn sounded behind them. Both boys jumped as a growl erupted from their female companion, her eyes glowing blood red in the shadows of her helmet.

"We need to move. NOW!" she snapped as she started running, leading the horses along as Ophelia took up a position on the riverbed.

The boys followed her, exchanging glances as they moved along. Lena ignored their conversation as she fought to rein in the Wolf. The dragons, Eragon, Murtagh and Arya were her Pack now, and she'd fight to the death to protect them. But she still had to find Serana and get the hell back to Skyrim. So she had to stay in control for just a little while longer.

Eragon came up alongside her, huffing as he attempted to keep up. "Lena, what's wrong?"

"Arya is on the brink of death and you idiots are worrying about a dead man rather than your own skins, what do you think is wrong?" she snapped as she pushed Snowfire's reins to his hands. "Focus not on the past, but on the present. Murtagh is not his father, so stop acting like he's about to attack you."

The forest ended and they pulled the horses to a stop. They all stood on a pebble beach directly to the left of the mouth of the Beartooth River. The deep lake that Eragon had called the Kóstha-mérna filled the valley, blocking their way as the water gleamed with flickering starlight. The mountain walls restricted passage around the lake to a strip of shore on either side that were no bigger than a few steps wide. At the lake's far end was a broad sheet of water that tumbled down from the black cliffs above.

"Do we go to the falls?" Murtagh asked tightly as he looked around the lake.

"Yes." Eragon took the lead and picked his way along the Lake's left side as Lena stayed back to cover their rear. The pebbles underfoot were damp and covered in slime, making walking over them a pain in the ass for those who were unused to such terrain. There was barely enough room for the two dragons, who were trapped between the sheer valley wall and the water. Both had to walk in two feet of water.

They were halfway to the water fall when Urgals began spilling out of the forest like black liquid.

"URGALS!" Lena cried as she drew Stormfang, the serrated blade humming with electrical energy. One of the brutes motioned to the dragons with guttural words and the horde immediately split, going along both sides of the lake. Lena growled as they approached on her side. Without a thought, Ophelia took to the sky alongside Saphira, whom Eragon called out to. Both dragons dived at the Urgals with bellowing roars, the brutes attempting to scatter as the black and blue reptiles caught a pair of Kull between their talons and carried them off into the night sky. The remains fell into the lake a moment later, torn to shreds. The Kull continued along Kóstha-mérna undeterred. With smoke streaming from her nostrils, Saphira dove into the water as the Kull fired arrows at her. Ophelia roared and spewed black fire from her maw, roasting the Urgals as she passed.

With a feral grin, Lena's faceplate slid apart. _**"Bo ruz, zu'u fent hi fin suleyk do fin Dovahkiin!"**_ she roared as she took a deep breath. Reaching deep within her soul, she drew on the power that all dragons possessed. The power of Fire. _**"Yol…Toor Shul!"**_ A torrent of flame left her throat, torching the Urgals closest to her as they attempted to strike at the black armored woman. They screamed as the flash of searing pain washed over them and they were turned to ash as the blast blew right through them.

Her faceplate slid home as she charged, her blade flashing as she cut through the closest Kull, the brute's head exploding as the lightning travelled through him. She continued, her blade flashing in the starlight as she spun and kicked, slashed and stabbed, every movement cutting an Urgal or two to twain. Her arms twinged in pain as arrows hit Ophelia's wings, which only increased her rage as she surged forward, causing the Urgals to focus on the more immediate threat. She nearly took Murtagh's head off as he joined the fray, his blade moving as a silver blur as he pushed the Urgals back alongside her.

Out of nowhere, about twenty of the Urgals fell into the lake, howling as they clutched at the bones sticking out of their legs. Lena's armored head snapped around to see Eragon sagging in exhaustion as the magic took its toll. She cursed and threw a fireball toward the Urgals as she fell back to the farm boy. As she approached, Murtagh shouted to Eragon, "What now? We can't stay here!"

"I don't know! This is where we're supposed to be!" Eragon responded desperately

"Why don't you ask the elf to make sure?" demanded Murtagh as he sheathed his sword, snatching his bow from Tornac's saddle the same time Lena stuck her blade in the ground and pulled Ember off her back, loosing a trio of burning arrows into the Urgal horde at the end of the valley, setting three of them aflame as they climbed over their fallen brethren.

"Now?! She's barely alive! How's she going to find the strength to say anything?" the farm boy snapped back as he too brought out his bow to fire on the incoming Urgals.

"Stop bickering and figure it out!" Lena snapped as she dropped Ember and snatched Stormfang from the ground to block a Kull's axe. To a normal person, the blow would've shattered their arms. For her and her Beast Blood, it only made her strain a bit before her boot swung up to kick him right in the daddy bags. ( _ **A.N.-Guys, you know what I'm talking about.**_ ) The Kull's eyes widened in pain just before her blade took his head off. "I'd rather not fight the whole damn army!"

There was silence for a moment before Eragon called out, "The Varden are on the other side of the lake. We have to go through the waterfall!"

"Then make it quick! I'll hold them long enough for you to get through!" she shouted back as she unleashed a maelstrom of black-red flames to keep the Urgals back.

 _Ophelia, go with them. Stay close to Murtagh and make sure the Varden to try to use him as leverage!_ she called to her dragon, who nodded in response.

 _Don't die…please,_ the dragon whispered as the horses jumped through the waterfall. The Dragonborn nodded, knowing Ophelia would hear her affirmation.

Using Telekinesis, Lena blasted the Urgals back enough to retrieve her bow and make a run for the edge of the lake as she saw her dragon's tail disappear through the thundering water. With a war-cry, she leapt into the water.

The waterfall pushed against her, almost pinning her to the waterbed before she got her feet under her. She thanked Akatosh that her Water Breathing enchantment held as she looked around. She spotted Eragon a few meters ahead, struggling to reach the surface as the torrent of water pushed him down. Thanks to the weight of her armor, she was able to walk across the bottom of the lake and grab the boy by the arm even as a Dwemer reached him. The dwarf gasped, letting loose a mass of bubbles as he beheld her, the half-elf ignoring him as she grabbed the back of Eragon's tunic and nodded to the stocky man. The Dwarf nodded in return and swam back the way he came, Lena right behind as she pulled Eragon through the water.

The Dwarf gasped as his head broke the water and Lena came up with him, Eragon breathing heavily as his head exited the water. As he gasped for breath, the dwarf spoke in a gruff voice. "Akh Guntéraz dorzâda! What were you thinking? You could have drowned!"

Eragon jerked up as he heard the voice. Lena took that moment to examine the stocky being. He was as all dwarves were, short and stocky, with a long braided beard the color of tree bark. He wore a chain-mail jacket cut off at the shoulders to reveal muscular arms. A war axe hung from a wide leather belt strapped around his waist. An iron-bound oxhide cap, bearing the symbol of a hammer surrounded by twelve stars, sat firmly on his head. Even with the cap and heavy metal boots, he barely topped four feet tall, which nearly made Lena giggle.

"Barzul, but I wish I could join them!" he said, staring out of the cavern they stood in at the battle outside.

Eragon drew Zar'roc and looked around as she spotted the dragons further in the cave. Murtagh stood next to Ophelia, who was growling at a bald, beardless man dressed in purple and gold robes. The man looked decidedly unhappy with the black dragon. The man turned his attention to her and Eragon.

"Don't even think about using your magic. Else I will kill your dragons, and –" he was cut off as Lena's rage flared and he was yanked off his feet via telekinesis. He choked as her hand wrapped around his throat, her taloned gauntlet cutting into the flesh of his neck. The man struggled until he spotted the red glow of Lena's eyes.

"Threaten my dragon again, and I will kill you where you stand. Do I make myself clear?" she growled, eyes narrowing as he nodded quickly. With a scoff, she tossed him aside and made her way to Saphira, who had Arya strapped to her chest. They were safe from the Urgals, but they were trapped as well as the stone doors swung shut with barely a whisper. Lena sighed. _Damn it._

* * *

 _ **A.N. Okay, so somebody asked me what Lena looked like. Put simply, she looks like Katie McGrath with a tan, pointed ears and gold-green eyes rather than just green.**_

 _ **And if you don't know who Katie McGrath is, watch Supergirl on CW or Merlin on BBC. She plays Lena Luthor in Supergirl and Morgana in Merlin.**_

 _ **Fus Ro Da: Unrelenting Force**_

 _ **Meyz ruz! Los daar pah hi piraak?!: Come then, is that all you possess!?**_

 _ **Las Yah Nir: Aura Whisper**_

 _ **Bo ruz, zu'u fent hi fin suleyk do fin Dovahkiin!: Come on, let me show you the strength of the Dragonborn!**_

 _ **Yol Toor Shul: Fire Breath**_


	3. Chapter 3: Explanations

_**Chapter Three: Explanations**_

Lena was trying to decide whether she should be pissed off, bored out of her mind, or asking for food. As soon as the doors had shut, the moron who thought to threaten Ophelia and Saphira had snapped for the party to follow him, cutting off Eragon every time he tried to ask for a healer to look at Arya. They followed the bald man and the Dwemer through the arched doorway and down a tall, narrow corridor. The warriors; humans and Dwemer alike; kept their weapons pointed at the trio, primarily at the figure who appeared to be something straight out of a nightmare. After a few minutes, they passed the sculpture of a porcupine; a creature she had only seen in Valenwood; and then took a sharp left, then a right. A door opened and they entered large room that barely allowed Ophelia and Saphira to move around at all.

If this idiot gets Arya killed, I'll tear his head off, she grumbled to Ophelia, who gave a nod as she took a seat next Murtagh. Lena's face split into a grin a moment later. Though that fire out there, very nice!

The feeling of smug pride emanated from the black dragon as Ophelia sat a little straighter, causing the Dovahkiin to snort in amusement. It just felt like the right thing to do. Saphira has been asking me how I did it, I just told her that it just…happened. But it felt…incredible!

Lena was about to respond when Eragon spoke.

"There's an injured—" he began, but a sharp gesture from Baldy cut him off.

"Do not speak! It must wait until you have been tested!" the man grinned, causing Lena's eyes to narrow and a rumble to erupt from her throat.

"Blasted Fool!" she shouted as she stepped forward, causing the warriors to flinch and raise their weapons at her. She ignored them and glared at the bald man. "We have an injured elf here who will die if she does not receive medical treatment. NOW!" she snapped.

The man gulped, and from the look of him would have denied her until the Dwemer that had leapt in to aid Eragon stepped forward. "Are you blind and deaf, Egraz Carn? You heard the warrior, that is an elf on that dragon! We cannot keep her here if her life is in danger. Ajihad and the king will have all our heads if she's allowed to die!"

The man's eyes tightened with anger, and Lena was reminded of both Ancano and Elenwen in an instant. This was a man who coveted power and control. To have it challenged by anyone was something that he hated more than anything. She grinned beneath her helmet. Then let's piss him off she smirked as the man relaxed and nodded.

"Of course, Orik, we wouldn't want that to happen." He snapped his fingers and pointed to the elf girl. Two human warriors sheathed their swords and approached Saphira cautiously as the blue dragon watched them with a flicker of amusement in her eye. "Quickly, quickly!"

The men unstrapped Arya from Saphira's chest and carefully lowered her to the floor. One of the men saw her face, then said, "It's the Dragon-Egg courier, Arya!"

"What?" the bald man exclaimed. The Dwemer Orik's eyes widened in astonishment as Lena moved to help the men put Arya on a stretcher. Behind her, she heard, "You have much explaining to do," at which she scoffed as she brushed Arya's hair from her face.

"Tell your healers that I did as much as I could with what I had. I hope it helps them save her," she said as she stepped back from the men, who looked surprised to hear the voice of a woman emanating from the armor. Eragon stepped forward. "She was poisoned with the Skilna Bragh while in prison. Only Tứnivor's Nectar can save her now"

The bald man's lip twitched as he stood motionless. "Very well. Take her to the healers and tell them what she needs. Guard her until the ceremony is completed. I will have new orders for you by then."

He turned to the companions as the men left, Lena's eyes tracking them until they had left the room. Her eyes snapped to Baldy as he spoke. "Now, you shall remove your weapons and slide them to me."

Lena let loose a bark of laughter. "I think not! I will not be ordered about by a weasel like yourself. You want my weapons, come and take them, **_milk-drinker_**!" she sneered at the man, reveling in the way his face contorted and turned bright red. The warriors sniggered at her words.

"You will surrender your weapons and unshield your mind if you wish to enter Farthen Dŭr!" the man snapped. Eragon, Murtagh and the dragons were the only ones to notice her body tense up, even under the metal plating of her armor. They quickly backed away from her.

"You…want inside my head?" she asked with a snarl, causing the remaining warriors to take a step back as they heard the rage in her voice. "Now listen here, you little worm. My mind is not a book for filth like you to intrude. It is my most sacred place, where only those I trust with my life may walk. You think to enter my mind and walk amongst my memories and thoughts? HA! Try it and I guarantee that you will suffer for it!"

The man's face contorted with rage, the only sign Lena got before an unseen force slammed into her mind. She snarled as she threw up her barriers, both to keep the Wolf within her at bay and to keep the bald man out. Having Miraak's stones mess with her head made for good practice keeping folks out. She growled and took a step forward, albeit with some effort, as the man seemed to be attempting to force her to her knees. She shook her head as she felt Ophelia bolster her, making her grin as her next step was much easier than the first. She kept moving forward until her fist buried itself in the man's stomach, forcing the attack on her mind to break off as the man coughed up blood. She grabbed the bald man by the scruff of his imaculate robes and threw him from her, the piece of filth landing at Orik's feet.

She stared at the man, ignoring the warriors as they shouted at her. "My mind is closed to you. And you have NO RIGHT to invade the minds of those around you!" she snarled, the feral rage in her voice shaking the room. "I know little of the magic in this land, but from what Eragon has told me, an oath in this 'Ancient Language' would be sufficient to allow entry, as one cannot lie while speaking it. So, you will construct an oath, with Eragon's help and Arya's when she awakens, to affirm that I mean you no harm. My only reason for being here is to ensure Eragon's safety and to find someone close to me."

She looked to the shocked faces of her companions and her faceplate slid back to show them her smirk before she looked back to the man. "None shall trespass upon my mind. Attempt to do so again and I will rend your head from your shoulders."

She took three steps from the man before she stopped. Looking over her shoulder, she said "Attempt to force your way into the minds of my comrades, and I will kill you. Slowly and painfully. Remember that before you do anything stupid, yes?"

The man staggered to his feet as he gasped for breath, wiping blood from his lips. He glared at her with wild eyes, eyes filled with such hate, for a moment, she thought him a Dremora. His head snapped to the warriors and he snarled out, "Don't just stand there, you idiots! KILL THEM!"

The men exchanged glances as Eragon and Murtagh drew their weapons and the dragons tensed, Ophelia ready to unleash her new flames as she settled into a crouch. Lena looked from the men to her friends and sighed. She took a step forward, into the center of the room. "Men of the Varden, I understand that you are only doing what you think necessary to protect your people. I have a great deal of respect for you in that regard. However," she reached over her shoulder and removed Stormfang from it's resting place. The serrated blade glinted in the light as the sparks of black-red lightning jumped across the blade. "should you follow this milk-drinker's orders, I will be forced to fight you. I have no doubt that you saw my power as I fought the Kull. Know that should you choose to fight, I will oblige you. And I shall not hold back." Her eyes scanned the men around her, looking for any sign of attack. She reached up with her free hand and removed her helm, the men gasping as they beheld her. No doubt they had expected some form of demon to hide behind such armor.

"I swear to you now, on my honor as a warrior, that I mean the Varden no harm. I have no love for the Black King, nor would I ever serve one who oppresses his people. I wish to offer my services to your cause until such a time as I can find my way home. All I ask for is a fair chance. To let my actions speak louder than my words ever could. For I will never submit access of my mind to any that I do not trust with every fiber of my being. So…make your choice." She fell silent as Baldy seethed in rage behind her, placing her helmet back on her head, just in case he decided to attack.

Orik stepped forward, a proud gleam in his eye as he beheld the Dragonborn. "Well said, lass. I shall ask the king to allow you into the mountain." When the bald man sputtered in outrage, he continued. "You are right. We do what we must to ensure the safety of our people. But I see that look in your eyes that says you will fight to the bitter end to defend what is yours, and I say that I will not allow good men to die for one man's pride. You will stay here for the night. Food and drink shall be brought to you whilst we decide what to do with you. All I ask is that you surrender your weapons for the time being, to put the men at ease."

Lena looked the dwarf over slowly before nodding. She liked this one. He was respectful, yet knew how to piss off the right people. She held her weapon by the grip and her left hand under the blade and held it out to the dwarf. "Careful. Stormfang has a very sharp blade, and I'd hate for anyone to injure themselves handling her."

The dwarf nodded as he carefully took her weapon, another Dwarf taking her bow and arrows as she held them out. She looked over to the Teens to see them gaping at her, the dragons copying them. She couldn't help but laugh. "Hand them your weapons," she said with a nod. "Something tells me we can trust the Dwemer."

Baldy sputtered in disbelief as the two teenagers nodded numbly and handed their weapons over to the Varden as the dwarves present gave her an odd look when she called them 'Dwemer'. Whatever the bald man might've said was ignored as Orik dragged him out of the room by the sash of his immaculate robes. It was a rather amusing sight. As the doors closed with a dull boom, the werewolf let out a sigh of relief as she moved over to Ophelia, the dragon laying down to allow her Rider to lean against her as the warrior woman removed her helm and gauntlets, laying the pieces of armor next to her as the boys exchanged a glance. Lena had just closed her eyes and leaned her head against Ophelia's stomach when Eragon's voice echoed through the room.

"Why are you so opposed to having your mind searched?"

She cracked her eye open to look at the teen. She sighed. "You deserve to know. After all, you've put up with me for nearly a week now without learning too much about me." She motioned to the dragons. "Before we start, we should heal their injuries."

Eragon jolted as he remembered his partner's injuries and leapt to begin healing her. Lena did the same, though thankfully Ophelia did not have nearly as many wounds as she had imagined. Just a few arrow wounds in the membrane of her wings, nothing more. Minutes later, they sat in a rough circle. Murtagh sat near the door facing her, Eragon sat against Saphira as she sat against Ophelia, her eyes closed as she organized her thoughts.

After a time, her eyes opened and she spoke. "I was born in a place known as the Summerset Isles, a beautiful place filled with fertile farmlands, woodland parks, and ancient towers and manors. It is a providence of the continent of Tamriel, on the world of Nirn. My mother is a half-breed by Thalmor standards. Her mother was a Bosmer, or Wood Elf while her father was an Altmer, or High Elf. My father was a Nord, a stocky human from the harsh providence of Skyrim. As such, I was viewed as an abomination by those in power, even though my family had been loyal to the Aldermeri Dominion since its founding."

"My mother and I were driven out of our home by the Thalmor when I was only six years old." Lena winced as she remembered running from the fanatics at the crack of dawn with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a few personal belongings. "We took refuge in the Bosmer lands of Valenwood, where I grew up amongst those who taught me to respect the natural world. My father was a soldier in the Imperial military, which gained us great favor with the Empire. However, he was killed when Ulfric Stormcloak, the brother to the High King of Skyrim, murdered his younger brother to seize power. When we received word that my father had been killed, I set out immediately for Skyrim, both to retrieve his body for burial and to avenge his death, despite the fact I had been nothing more than a hunter and mediocre mage at the time. However, I didn't know that my life was going to be turned upside down the instant I stepped foot in Skyrim."

Eragon leaned forward. "Wait, so you're an elf…from another world?"

Lena laughed lightly. "Technically, I'm two-thirds elf, one third human. A tri-breed if you will. Though I prefer Half-Elf. And yes, I am from another world. Back home, the stars were arranged differently and there were two moons in the sky, rather than one. Masser and Secunda, they are called. Massive satellites orbiting Nirn.

He nodded with an awestruck expression and she continued her tale. "I had been travelling for a few weeks, armed with naught but a bow, a dagger and some magic when I came across some men in the woods sitting around a campfire. I didn't know it then, but I was standing across from two of the men responsible for my father's death. Ulfric Stormcloak, the man who started a war because of his lust for power, and Ralof of the town Riverwood, the man who stabbed my father in the back like a coward. They invited me to sit and warm myself by the fire, and being the naïve fool I was, I did. We traded some supplies, a few dozen steel arrows for me and some mead for them. I was about to continue on my journey when the Imperials exploded from the forest and attacked us. I didn't even have the chance to cast a simple Fire spell when I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, I had been tied up and stripped of my supplies and my clothing, left in a ragged tunic and breaches as we were carted somewhere to be executed. It was then that I learned that the men who had killed my father sat across from me. I am ashamed to admit that I tried to kill them right then and there. If it hadn't been for the Imperials, I would have. Ralof acted as though he had been justified in killing my father. I spat in his face and cursed him to Oblivion. Ulfric, I told him that no matter what happened, I would make sure he paid the price for starting a war that would've put hundreds of thousands out of their homes if he won. He was gagged at the time, so he couldn't answer, but I know he was cursing me for being an 'Imperial puppet'." Lena scoffed and wiped away the tears that had gathered in her eyes.

"We arrived in a place called Helgen to be executed by the Imperials. I expected to be released when they saw I wasn't on their lists. Imperials pride themselves on being efficient. However, the captain decided that I had to be executed as well."

"But you were innocent!" Eragon cried, looking furious.

"I was," Lena nodded. "But by being with the Stormcloaks when they were attacked, in her eyes, I must have joined them some time before the ambush. When I learned I was going to die before I could get my father's body home and take my revenge, I prayed to all the gods, even Talos, though I had never believed in him, for something, anything to happen so that I could be free. Well, I got my wish. But I fell face first into a destiny I had no idea I had. You see, back home I am something called 'Dovahkiin'." She fell silent for a moment as she looked at her three listeners. "It means…Dragonborn."

Eragon and Saphira exchange shocked glances before Murtagh spoke up. "What does that mean? That you were born from a dragon?"

The teens and blue dragon jumped as Lena threw her head back and laughed heartily. She doubled over as she gasped for breath, she was laughing so hard. It took a little while, but she calmed down enough to respond. "No, I was not born from a dragon. It means that the Dragon God of Time, Akatosh, gave me the blood and soul of a Dragon when I was still in my mother's womb. In doing so, he created the ultimate Dragon Slayer."

She held up her hand as Eragon and Saphira flinched back, their eyes wide with fear. "As I said before, Dragons back home are not like dragons here. Most are mindless monsters who covet death and destruction. I have only met three who did not wish to cause havoc wherever they went. One was hermit named Paarthurnax, whose name meant "Ambition Overlord Cruelty" in Dovahzul, who hid at the top of a mountain to calm his more destructive urges. The other was a much younger dragon named Odahviing, which means 'Winged Snow Hunter'. He only wished for the war to stop, as he was sick and tired of watching his brethren fall while trying to kill me, never to rise again. The other was a dragon trapped in a dark realm who had tried to use Necromancy to fight against the instigator of the original Dragon War. You see, dragons back in Nirn don't truly die unless they are killed by another dragon or by a Dragonborn. This is because only dragons can consume the souls of other dragons to make themselves stronger. Dragons have a choice in the matter. I do not. When I slay a dragon, I instinctively consume its soul, which increases my magical and physical powers, along with giving me the ability to use the Thu'um, those blasts of power you've seen me use. As I traveled, I grew in strength, and my legend grew in turn. By the time I joined the Imperial Legion to end the war, I was known throughout Skyrim as the Immortal Dragon Slayer. A title that I wish I didn't possess, but one that I didn't mind so long as it wasn't always what people addressed me by. I had many adventures during my time in Skyrim, met many good people and uncovered many mysteries. I brought a guild of thieves back from the brink and rose an assassin's guild up to new heights. I became the leader of a mercenary guild known as the Companions, became the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, became a master Bard and a treasure hunter."

"You're a bard?" Murtagh asked with an amused look.

Lena grinned smugly. "Yes I am. I specialize in music rather than telling tall tales. Leave that to those with their heads in the clouds. If we're here more than a few hours, I'll play you a few songs."

She continued. "As I was saying, the dragon who had started the original Dragon War, Alduin, or 'Destroy-Devour-Master' in Dragon Tongue, had been sent through time to the exact moment I was about to have my head chopped off. In a way, he saved my life. Though after I had escaped Helgen, he sent dragon after dragon to fight me. At first, they were the weakest of the reptiles. Dull green or brown, white and red, all dragons who had not earned their names before their first deaths. When they failed to kill me, he began sending dragons so old they had never been killed, simply bided their time until their master had returned, to kill me. I killed them."

She sighed as she rubbed her face. "I don't like killing. I do it when it is necessary, but I do not enjoy it. Any who do are true monsters." she said it as an apology to Saphira. With a shake of her head, she continued.

"Anyways, I found an object known as an Elder Scroll, which allowed me to learn the Shout 'Dragonrend', which strips a dragon of their ability to fly for a short time. I used this to great effect when I fought Alduin in the spirit realm of Sovengarde, where he had fled in hope of devouring enough souls to stand against me. Unfortunately, he did not expect me to have become a werewolf in that time, so he was quite surprise when I clawed his eyes out of his skull and tore his tongue from his mouth."

Eragon cut in again. "Werewolf? What is that, like an oversized wolf?"

Lena shook her head. "No. Werewolves are humanoid wolves that stand nearly seven to eight feet tall. Contrary to popular belief back home, werewolves are only out of control on their first transformation. The rest of the time they are in control, unless they happened to piss off a Daedric Prince." She frowned at the teen. "You've met a were, haven't you?"

Eragon nodded and launched into an explanation about the werecat Solembum that he met in the coast city of Teirm. Lena frowned. "I've heard of were-jaguars in Elsweyr, but never werecats."

"So, what happened next?" Murtagh asked, shaking Lena from her thoughts. She shook her head.

"Right, sorry. After I killed Alduin once and for all, I returned to Skyrim just in time for the Siege of Windhelm, the seat of Ulfric's rebellion. Sufficed to say, I wasn't going to miss that. I was on the frontlines. I shattered the gates of the city with my Voice, cut down any who stood between me and the bastard who had ordered the death of my father. With me and a few of the Companions at my side, we cleared the city of Stormcloak soldiers in minutes. General Tullius and I entered the Palace of Kings together and killed Ulfric's guards while the arrogant bastard sat on his fancy chair watching." She shook her head in disgust. "And he called himself a king. He knew he was done for, but he asked for one thing: a fair fight between himself and me. No magic, no allies and no healing potions. Just us, our blades and our Voices. I agreed, thinking I'd beat him easily. I had heard the rumors that he had the same powers I did, but I never believed it. I got blasted out the doors because of that. Luckily, he didn't have nearly as many, nor as powerful Dragon Shouts as I did, so once I got back to my feet, I managed to disarm him with Stormfang before I used Unrelenting Force; that first Shout you saw with the slavers; to knock his ass right through the wall. He didn't get a chance to get up before I buried Stormfang in his chest. The widow of the former High King was crowned High Queen of Skyrim, and the war was over. Of course, then I got attacked by a bunch of cultists who had heard that I was Dragonborn."

"They followed the Dragonborn before me, a man called Miraak. The bastard had been preserved for several millennia by the Daedric Prince of Knowledge, Hermaeus Mora, until he sought to overthrow him and declare himself a god on Nirn. He had heard that there was a new Dragonborn and declared that there could only be one, and that he would suffer no rivals. Me? I was trying to build a house next to a lake so that I could get away from my adoring fans."

Lena scoffed as she shook her head. "Hundreds of thousands of gold septims wasted because I was a hero. I had a home in every Hold capital, with an army's worth of specially made equipment in each of them. And I had to abandon it all because I ended a war and killed the World Eater all at once. Anyway, to make a long story short, I went to an island off the coast of Skyrim and tried to figure out what was what. Found these weird stones that Miraak was using to control people just from them touching the damn things."

Lena shuddered at the memory of being forced to work on the things, unable to stop. "That's the primary reason I wasn't about to let the bald guy into my head. I was unfortunate enough to have touch the stones, which forced me to work on them for over a week before I could break free of the enchantment. Anyway, I hunted him down, had to learn Dragon Aspect, which makes a set of ethereal dragon plating wrap around my body and bolsters my magical and physical abilities. Used that to kill him after getting through a stupid number of puzzles and killing a bunch of massive fish men. Stabbed Hermaeus Mora in the eye as I was leaving. After that, I was recruited by the Dawnguard to deal with the rising vampire menace. But I already told you how that went. Went in, saved the girl, killed her crazy dad and lived happily ever after…until I stupidly activated something I shouldn't have and as a result got sent here.

Lena laid a hand on Ophelia's side as the dragon hummed softly. "Woke up with her on my chest around the area of Furnost. Spent the next several months letting her grow and learn about who she was bonded to. Though I will say that waking up and feeling protective of a dragon of all things was the last way I expected to wake up after my stupid mistake."

"What do you mean?" Eragon asked.

Lena sighed and rubbed her face. "As the Dragonborn, I have an instinctual…hunger to hunt and kill dragons. But I saw her and it just…clicked. That she was now an important part of my life and I had to protect her as much as I would protect Serana."

 _And I will protect you, Little One. With everything I possess and more._ Ophelia said as she rubbed her snout along Lena's cheek.

 _Hey, it's supposed to be my job to protect you, young Dragon,_ Lena replied ruefully as she wrapped her arms around Ophelia's snout. She pressed her forehead against the black dragon's snout, comforted by the warmth her dragon emanated. After several minutes of silence, she turned to Murtagh. "Alright, Murtagh. Your turn to tell us your past. And don't worry, I won't judge you for any mistakes you made in the past."

The teenager gave a humorless chuckle, his face drawn and pale. He fell silent for several moments, his eyes flicking back and forth as he looked to get his thoughts together.

His first sentence was halting, but his voice gained strength and confidence as he spoke, most of his words directed to Eragon and Saphira. "As far as I know…I am the only child of the Thirteen Servants, or the Forsworn as they're called. There may have been others, for the Thirteen had the skill to hide whatever they wanted, but I doubt it, for reasons I'll explain later.

"My parents met in a small village—I never learned where—while my father was traveling on the king's business. Morzan showed my mother some small kindness, no doubt a ploy to gain her confidence, and when he left, she accompanied him. They traveled together for a time, and as is the nature of things, she fell deeply in love with him. Morzan was delighted to discover this, not only because it would give him many chances to torment her, but also because he saw the advantage of having a servant who would not turn against him.

"Morzan returned to Galbatorix's court, and my mother became his most useful tool. He used her to ferry his messages; secret or otherwise; and taught her some basic magics, which helped her remain undiscovered and occasionally extract information from people. He did his best to protect her from the rest of the Thirteen, though not from any feelings for her. More or less, it was to keep the Forsworn from using her against him… For three years things proceeded in such a manner until my mother became pregnant."

Murtagh paused, his fingers messing with a lock of his hair as Lena watched him with observant eyes. His tone was clipped when he began again. "My father was a cunning man, if nothing else. He knew the pregnancy would put the both of them- and me, in peril. So, he spirited her away in the dead of night to his castle, and laid down many enchantments that kept any but a few chosen servants from entering the estate. In this way, the pregnancy was kept secret."

"The king knew the Thirteen as well as he knew himself, down to the smallest detail—their plots, fights and their thoughts. He took great pleasure in watching them fight one another and often aided one or another for his own amusement. But for whatever reason, he never revealed my existence to the others.

I was born in due time and given to a wet nurse so that my mother could return to Morzan's side. She had no choice in the matter. Morzan allowed her to visit me every few months, but otherwise we were kept apart." Murtagh jolted to a stop as Lena growled, her eyes bleeding to crimson as she grumbled and cursed Morzan in Dovahzul, causing the room to shudder under the weight of her Voice. Once the Half-Elf stopped grumbling, he continued, though his eyes stayed locked on her face. "Another three years passed in this way, during which time he gave me the scar on my back." Murtagh brooded for a moment before continuing as Lena's hand clenched into a fist in her lap.

"I would have grown to manhood in such a fashion if Morzan hadn't been called away to hunt down the thieves who had taken Saphira's egg. As soon as he left, my mother, who had been left behind, vanished. No one knows where she went, or why. The king tried to hunt her down, but his men found nothing – no doubt thanks to Morzan's training."

"By the time I was born, there were only five of the Forsworn remaining. By the time my sire left, that number had been reduced to three; when he finally faced Brom at Gil'ead, he was the only one left alive. The Thirteen had died through various methods; suicide, ambush, magic overuse, poison… and all mostly due to the Varden. I was told that the king was enraged over the losses."

"Before word of the Thirteen's deaths reached us, my mother returned. It had been many months since her disappearance and her health had become poor. The healers told me it was as if she had suffered a terrible illness, and she steadily became worse. Within a fortnight, she died."

Lena looked away as she mulled over the information. She had a few ideas of why his mother might've disappeared, and later died, but without proof, it was best to keep quiet.

Eragon spoke up, jolting the Dragonborn from her thoughts. "What happened then?"

Murtagh shrugged. "I grew up. The king brought me to the palace and arranged for my upbringing. Aside from that, he left me to my own devices."

"Then why did you leave?" asked Eragon with a tilt of his head.

A harsh chortle sprung forth from Murtagh. "Escaped more like. At my last birthday, when I turned eighteen, the king summed me to his quarters for a private dinner. The message caught me off guard since I had always distance myself from the court."

"A good decision, that," Lena grinned as she remembered the intricacies of the courts. "No offense, but you don't seem like you'd be all that good at being fancy and noble."

Murtagh cracked a wide grin. "You'd be right at that. Anyway, I accepted the offer since it wasn't wise to refuse the king. The meal was sumptuous, but his black eyes never left me for even a moment. It was disconcerting to say the least; it was as if he was searching for something hidden in my face. I didn't know what to make of him so I attempted to make polite conversation. He refused to speak, so I fell silent and continued eating."

"Once the meal was done, he finally spoke. You've never heard his voice, so it's hard for me to make you understand what it was like. His words were entrancing, like a snake whispering gilded lies into my ears. A more convincing and frightening man I have never heard. He wove a vision of the Empire as he envisioned it: there would be beautiful cities built across the country, filled with the greatest warriors, artisans, musicians and philosophers. The Urgals would finally be eradicated. And the Empire would expand in every direction until it reached the four corners of Alagaësia. Peace and prosperity would reign, but more wondrous yet, the Riders would be brought back to gently govern over Galbatorix's fiefdoms."

"Well that's where he went wrong." Lena said simply, drawing their attention to her. "First off: you want bards in your fancy courts, not musicians. Bards make the atmosphere lively and warm. Secondly: You don't eradicate an entire race. Keeping them under control through treaties and respect is the way to go."

"You have experience in this?" Eragon asked.

Lena nodded. "Yes, I do. In Skyrim, each of the Hold Capitals had at least three bards in the court; one for song, one for tales, and one just to act stupid. The Nords attempted to slay the Orcs when they first arrived in the providence, but it didn't end well for anyone involved, so after working out a series of treaties, the Orcs were left alone so long as they didn't attack innocent people. That's worked rather well for the past five decades, so I think it would work here. One thing Orcs and Urgals seem to have in common is their respect for strength. Any who can best a clan's strongest warrior is worthy of respect amongst the Orcs. It could be the same here. Though the Urgals…there was something wrong with the ones we were fighting."

Eragon and Murtagh exchanged a look before Saphira spoke. _What do you mean?_

"They had no sense of self-preservation. They just threw themselves at us with no regard of their lives or limbs at all. I don't think they were thinking for themselves." Lena said thoughtfully, remembering the blank looks on most of the Urgals. The expressions they held were like the faces of those magically entranced. She shook her head. "Don't mind me, just the Mage in me puzzling a few things out. Please continue, Murtagh."

The dark-haired teen nodded and cleared his throat before resuming his tale. "I listened to the King for what must've been hours. It was like a trance, I just couldn't ignore what was being said. When he stopped, I asked how the Riders would be reinstated, for everyone knew there were no Dragon Eggs left to hatch. He fell silent for a time and watched me thoughtfully. When he spoke again, he extended his hand and asked, 'Will you, O son of my friend, serve me as I labor to bring about this paradise?'

"Though I knew the history behind his and my father's rise to power, the dream he had painted was too compelling, too seductive for me to ignore. Ardor for the mission filled me, and I fervently pledged myself to him." He was interrupted as Lena's hand met her face as she shook her head.

"I know I said I wouldn't judge you…but gods be damned Murtagh, compelling or not, you should've taken their uprising into account before you agreed to anything. Told him it was all so overwhelming, you needed time to think or something like that, but not just jumping on the bandwagon with the crazy king." She grumbled into her hand as her head shook from right to left.

Murtagh looked a bit miffed at her interruption, but continued anyway.

"Anyway, after I pledge myself to him, Galbatorix gave me his blessing and then dismissed me, saying 'I shall call upon you when the need arises.'

"Several months passed before he did. When the summons came, I felt al of my old excitement return. We met in private as before, but this time he was neither peasant or charming. The Varden had just destroyed three brigades in the south, and his wrath was out in full force. He charged me in a terrible voice to take a detachment of troops and destroy Cantos, where the rebels were known to hide occasionally. When I asked what we should do with the people there and how we would know if they were guilty, he shouted 'They're all traitors! Burn them at the stake and bury their ashes with dung!' He continued to rant, cursing his enemies and describing how he would scourge the land of everyone who bore him ill will.

"His tone was so different from what I had encountered before; it made me realize that he didn't possess the mercy or foresight to gain the people's loyalty, and he ruled only through brute force guided by his own passions, no matter how dark they are. It was then that I decided to escape him and Urû'baen forever."

Lena nodded in approval with a small grin. "A good move. Though I probably would've set a nasty little surprise for him in his favorite chair."

Murtagh gave a humorless chuckle as he shook his head. "It would have made for a brilliant distraction. However, instead I ran to my faithful servant, Tornac, and made ready for flight. We left that very night, but somehow the King anticipated my actions, for there were soldiers waiting for us outside the gates. Ah, my sword was bloody, flashing in the dim lantern glow. We defeated the men…but in the process Tornac was killed."

Lena's eyes widened in horror as her grin faded. He lost his friend…just because a madman wanted to control him… A split second later, her eyes narrowed as fury filled her heart, setting her blood aflame. Ophelia, she said to the black dragon in her mind. At the crimson-eyed dragon's acknowledgement, Lena growled, _We need to kill that bastard._

Ophelia agreed wholeheartedly.

They refocused on Murtagh as he continued. "Alone and filled with grief, I fled to an old friend who sheltered me in his estate. While I hid, I listened to every rumor, trying to predict Galbatorix's actions and plan my future. During that time, word reached me that the Ra'zac had been sent to capture or kill someone. Remembering the king's plan for the Riders, I decided to follow the Ra'zac, just in case they did discover a dragon. And that is how I found Eragon and Saphira… I have no more secrets."

The five of them fell silent for a time as Eragon and Saphira mulled over the new information. While they worked that over, Murtagh looked to Lena. "If I may, just after the you killed the slavers, you mention that you had been enslaved before. What happened?"

Lena blinked at the teen before she scowled as the memories came back to her. After several silent moments, she sighed. "I was framed for a crime I hadn't committed while I was in the city of Markarth. I had been digging into a mystery that revolved around a series of murders throughout the city. As it turned out, a group called the Forsworn were causing trouble with the help of the Silver-Blood family. The man who was helping me investigate was murdered by the Markarth guards in the Shrine of Talos, and they ambushed me, told me that all of the murders would be pinned on me and took me to the Cidhna mine."

She shuddered as she recalled the chains around her wrists and the whip across her back, unable to fight back without feeling as though she were being torn apart. "I was stuck in that place for three weeks, my magic blocked off by specially enchanted crystals and my fighting spirit locked away by a forbidden seal as I was tortured every day and forced to mine precious metals, gems and stones. The only reason I escaped was because my friends Kisisa, Aela, Farkas and his twin brother Vilkas broke into the mine to save me. I got lucky, some had been in the mine for years. As it was, it still took weeks for me to heal and recover for what was done to me in that horrible place. When the Legion took over Markarth, I freed any prisoner who didn't deserve to be there, and the new Jarl, whose name escapes me, completely remade the guard so that what happened to me and so many others would never happen again."

She gave a humorless laugh as Ophelia curled around her tightly. "That being said, I still have nightmares about that place. And I was only enslaved for three weeks! Kisisa endured fifteen years of that with bastards much worse than the old guards."

Murtagh and Eragon looked sickened at her treatment for a crime she didn't commit, and saddened that the woman who had been so jovial and kind seemed so…broken. She shuddered as she pushed the memories back. "Can we talk about something else…please?"

Both teens nodded quickly as the older woman looked away from them pointedly. They all sat in silence for a short time before Eragon looked to Murtagh with an odd look.

"If you have no love for the king, why not join the Varden? They'll distrust you for a time, but once you prove your loyalty, they'll treat you with respect. And aren't they in a sense your allies? They strive to end the king's reign. Isn't that what you want?"

"Must I spell everything out for you?" Murtagh demanded. "I don't want Galbatorix to learn where I am, which is inevitable if people start saying that I've sided with his enemies, which I've never done. These," he paused, his face twisting into a scowl before he spat out, "rebels are trying to not only overthrow Galbatorix, but to destroy the Empire… and I don't want that. The king is flawed, but the system itself is sound."

Lena could not believe what she was hearing. The king was flawed?! He was a traitorous piece of troll shit who murdered countless people over some imagined slight. The system was sound?! The system was most certainly not sound if slavery was commonplace and the less fortunate suffered at the hands of the rich and powerful. Her gold-green eyes bled back to red as Ophelia growled at the teen, causing Murtagh to jump as his head snapped to the black dragon with the crimson eyes.

 _The king is_ flawed _!? The system is_ sound!? _You are a fool if you believe that!_ The dragon growled as she bared her razor-sharp fangs at the dark-haired teen. With how Eragon and Saphira both flinched, Lena assumed that the dragon was broadcasting her thoughts to all those in the room. _The king is a murderer and traitor, the system allows for slavery and oppression. You are running from what you fear. That is not the way of a warrior! If you fear him, then fight back! Through your words or with your blade, I do not care, but if you dare say that the Oath-Breaker is flawed or that the system is sound again, I will incinerate you!_

Lena gaped at Ophelia, shocked at her current viciousness. Yes, she was a dragon and as such she was naturally more brutal than humans, elves or dwarves. But her basic personality was one of logic and reason. For her to lash out in such a manner was enough for Lena to be more than a little bit worried. Before any of the companions had a chance to respond to Ophelia's words, the door opened a hands breadth and three bowls where slid through the opening. A moment later, a large loaf of bread and two small hunks of meat were tossed through. The door moved to slide closed, but a Daedric metal helm slid into the gap, stopping the door closed. The two guards were shocked as the door was yanked open by Lena, her face twisted in fury as she shoved the meat out.

"Dragons are very big eaters. Bring back something that will actually settle their stomachs. And I swear by Akatosh that if that bald idiot tells you otherwise, tell him he can fight me for it." The two men gulped as she glared down as them. In a flash, her scowl was replaced by a soft smile, and she nodded. "Thank you."

The Dovahkiin pulled her helm out of the gap and moved back to sit by Ophelia, who was currently glaring at Murtagh with murder in her eyes. Lena brushed a hand along her dragon's scales absentmindedly as she sat down, pulling the bowl to her as she began to slurp it down. Despite its texture, the food was actually pretty good. Plenty of meat that was pleasantly salted and doughy dumplings with bits of vegetable mixed in with the broth. The non-dragon companions ate in silence for several minutes before the door slid open and four guards walked in, both pairs with large hunks of meat between them. Once the meat was set before the dragons, the men retreated hastily, the door slamming behind them loudly as Saphira and Ophelia tore into the flesh. Murtagh went to bed first, taking a spot next to the wall with his back facing the crimson-eyed dragon who was obviously not happy with him.

Eragon and Saphira shared a looked before the teen told Lena goodnight and curled up alongside the sapphire dragon, said dragon covering the teen with her wing as she curled around him. Lena stayed up a bit longer, staring at the enchanted crystal in her hand. Serana was much closer now, somewhere to the south. What had her worried was how the light was flickering and going from gold to sickly red. The Wolf within her growled worriedly as Lena put the crystal back in her pouch before leaning against Ophelia.

Touching the dragon's mind, she said, _You shouldn't be so hard on him. This isn't Skyrim. There, the Nords would take on their fears no problem. But he isn't a Nord. He's just a kid who has no idea who he's supposed to be._

Ophelia snorted as she curled around Lena and covered her with her wing. _I wouldn't be so hard if he wasn't such a coward. He runs rather than fights and has the audacity to wield that blade of his. A warrior should fight. A coward runs. Until he proves me wrong, he is a coward._

Lena sighed. _If you say so, but don't be so harsh. He is our friend, not our enemy._


	4. Chapter 4: Rage

_**Chapter Four: Rage**_

 _ **Eragon**_

Eragon jolted upright as a growl sounded in his ear, shaking his bones with its depth. Saphira was still asleep, her eyes wandering sightlessly under her eyelids, and her upper lip trembled, as if she were going to snarl. He smiled softly, then jumped as she growled again.

 _She must be dreaming,_ he realized. He watched her for a minute more, before he carefully slid out from under her wing. He stood and stretched. The room was cool, but not unpleasantly so. Murtagh lay in the far corner on his back, his eyes closed.

Looking to where their otherworldly companions were, the teenager had to slap his hands over his mouth to avoid laughing out loud. Ophelia was sprawled out, legs pointing in every which way with her tail bunched up against the wall. Despite her vicious appearance, the fact her tongue was hanging out of her mouth like a dog that had passed out whilst panting ruined her terrifying visage. Lena was hanging upside down from her dragon's neck, the woman evidently having clambered atop the reptile in the night and was now hanging from her legs as her hair fell haphazardly around her face as she snored loudly.

Eragon took several deep breaths to keep from roaring in laughter as to avoid waking three dragons at once from their slumber, before he carefully moved away from Saphira's sleeping form. Once he was far enough from Saphira, Murtagh stirred.

"Morning," he said quietly as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"How long have you been awake?" asked Eragon in a hushed voice as he moved to sit beside his friend. And the older teen was his friend, he realized as he sat down. His heritage didn't matter. His actions did.

"Awhile. I'm surprised those three didn't wake you sooner," Murtagh replied with an amused smirk as he nodded to the dragons and…Dragonborn. That would take a while to get used to.

Eragon shrugged. "I was tired enough to sleep through a thunderstorm. And all things considered…" he left the statement hanging as Ophelia and Lena both snorted rather loudly in the same moment, causing both teens to cover their mouths as they laughed. After a few minutes of suppressed chortles, they sat in silence for a few minutes before Eragon spoke again.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"No. It's impossible to tell in here."

"Has anyone come to see us?"

"Not yet."

The two teens sat in silence from there as Eragon thought over everything he had learned the night before. First, Lena was a Dragon in human skin. Well, half-elf, half-human. She was a werewolf, the leader of a school that taught Magic, an assassin, a thief, a mercenary, a treasure hunter and Tomb Raider, and a soldier. She had been enslaved in such a way that there was no way for her to escape without outside help, tortured without being about to fight back. She was from another world entirely. And the whole reason for her existence was to hunt and kill rogue dragons. That was the part that had kicked him in the teeth. With how close she and Ophelia were, the thought that Lena's whole purpose was to kill dragons; rogue or otherwise; had thrown him for a loop. And yet after everything she had been through, she was still strong and wise and filled with hope and laughter. It was…inspiring to say the least. It also explained the shades he had seen behind her during their encounter with the slavers. As a being of magic, her Other Sides would have come out to drive fear into her enemies. He wished he had something like that.

On the topic of Murtagh… _I've been carrying his father's sword, which would have been his…inheritance. We're alike in so many ways, and yet our outlook and upbringing are totally different._ He thought of Murtagh's scar and shivered. _What man could do that to a child?_

Saphira lifted her head and blinked to clear her eyes as she yawned expansively, her rough tongue curling at the tip. _Has anything happened?_ she asked as she shook herself. Eragon shook his head. _I hope they give us more to—_ she stopped as she saw her fellow dragon and her Rider. Saphira gaped for several moments before she began to roar in laughter. Eragon had seen her laugh before, but those were usually just loud chuffs that sounded funny. As Lena had said in one of her stories of Skyrim, Saphira was losing her shit. The dragon was laughing so hard, her tongue was hanging from her maw as she drew massive gasps of breath. The dragon couldn't keep herself upright and ended up on her back, rolling back and forth as she continued to roar in laughter. Eragon and Murtagh shared a single look before they too started laughing out loud, both boys doubled over as they chortled loudly.

"Aaah!" _CLANG!_ Came the sound of falling metal as Lena jolted awake and fell from her perch, landing on her head with her legs over her as Ophelia jolted from her sleep and rose her head sharply, crimson eyes flicking back and forth before they landed on the sapphire dragon, confusion filling them as she watched Saphira roll on the floor laughing loudly.

Lena groaned as she pushed herself out of her uncomfortable position and rolled into a sitting position to stare at her three companions blearily. The Rider and Dragon exchanged confused glances before looking back to their companions as though they were crazy. It took a while, but they finally calmed down enough to breath properly as the armored woman stood with her arms crossed as she waited for them to catch their breath.

"What the hell was so funny that Saphira was losing her shit?" Lena asked with a raised eyebrow, her lip twitching in amusement as the blue dragon ducked her head in embarrassment. Rather than explain it, Eragon reached out with his mind and carefully tapped on the barriers around her mind, for the first time noticing how different it felt from Brom's. Now, he could recognize how draconic her mind felt, with the hint of a midnight forest laced through flame, wind, filled to the brim with magic.

Lena tentatively lowered the barriers around her mind and Eragon swiftly shared the memory with her.

Within moments, the Black Rider and Dragon were roaring in laughter as well as they saw how supremely stupid they looked as they slept. Having already laughed their hardest for the day, the two teens and blue dragon watched in amusement.

Their merriment was cut short as the door slid open as the door slid open and two dozen warriors marched in. Of course, their seriousness was ruined as the men and dwarves watched the warrior woman and dragon laugh like a pair of crazy people. Orik and the Bald Man stared at the two as they attempted to calm themselves before the dwarf looked to Eragon with a look that asked, 'What is wrong with them?'

Eragon just smirked and gave an innocent shrug before the Black Rider finally stopped, gasping for breath and giggling madly as she pushed herself to her feet. She cleared her throat as she stood tall. "Sorry about that," she said as Ophelia continued to try and calm herself behind her Rider. "Ophelia told a hilarious, yet terrible joke, sooo…" The woman gave what Eragon assumed was supposed to be a charming smile, though it was ruined by the chortling dragon behind her.

 _ **Lena Nirvana**_

Lena cleared her throat and elbowed the side of Ophelia's massive head to get her to shut up. With a great heave of breath, the Dragon shoved her laughter down as a gout of smoke streamed from her nostrils.

 _I'm sorry, but we looked so stupid!_ Ophelia said, amusement still lacing her tone as she coughed a bit from the smoke in her lungs.

 _I know we did, and laughter is great, but now it's time to be serious._

Lena turned to the dwarf, expecting him to speak, before her face soured as Baldy stepped forward. "You have been summoned by Ajihad, Leader of the Varden. If you must eat, do so as we march."

Lena raised an eyebrow at the man. He was acting oddly polite, considering what she did to him the night before. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Eragon and Murtagh standing close together, watching the man warily as Saphira took up a position behind them. Lena shrugged and donned a shit-eating-grin. "Very well. Take me to your Leader, Baldy!"

The teens and dragons snickered behind her as the man's face turned bright red.

"Where are our horses? And can we have or weapons back?" Eragon asked.

The bald man looked at him in disdain before Orik stepped around him. "Your weapons will be returned to you soon, lad, don't worry. As for your horses, they're in the tunnel waiting for ya. Come on, now."

Lena nodded to the dwarf before donning her helm and brushing past the bald man, Ophelia growling menacing loudly at him as she passed, Eragon, Murtagh and Saphira following. They moved back into the room with the porcupine, walking passed it before she had a chance to determine what metals it was made of or what gems were used for the eyes. When they reached the massive tunnel through which they had arrived the night before, the bald man was standing next to Orik, who was holding the reins of Tornac, Snowfire and a random sorrel horse. The dwarf held out the sorrel horse's reins to Lena, but the half-elf simply smirked and shook her head.

Her helm's faceplate slid open and she put her thumb and first finger in her mouth. She gave a hard whistle and smirked as Shadowmere cantered out of the shadows, shaking her mane as she came to stand by her rider, eyes glowing bright red as she stared at the humans and dwarves before her. The guards and bald man all jumped in shock and stared as Lena pulled a brush from the saddle bags and quickly went about brushing the spirit horse down. With a smirk, the woman swung up into the saddle, running her hand through the spirit horse's coat as she whinnied in appreciation.

Lena shot a glance at her companions and grinned widely under her helm at their smirks. The bald man cleared his throat and stood straight as he looked to the teens. "You will ride single file down the center of the tunnel," he instructed, looking oh so important as he did. Lena rolled her eyes as Ophelia walked to stand by her side. As Eragon started to climb onto Saphira, Baldy shouted, "No! Ride your horse until I tell you otherwise."

Eragon shrugged and took Snowfire's reins. He swung into the saddle and guided the horse in front of Saphira just behind Lena and Ophelia. Murtagh pulled Tornac behind Saphira with a blank expression. The bald man examined their line, then gestured to the guards, who divided in half to surround them, a dozen on either side, giving both dragons a wide berth.

After looking over their line once more, Baldy nodded and clapped twice before walking forward. Lena tapped Shadowmere's sides lightly, spurring the horse forward as she reached up to remove her helmet. She had a feeling of what was happening and preferred to be ready for it. As one, the group moved forward down the tunnel, Lena staring at the architecture as they moved toward the heart of the mountain. The hoof-beats, claw clicks, and footsteps of the horses, men, and dragons echoed through the tunnel as they moved. While Lena was examining the excellent workmanship of the tunnel, she began to notice two things: Baldy was prodding at the barriers around her mind and a growing discomfort in her chest. It felt as if she was having issues breathing, as though her armor was being pulled tight.

She blinked as she realized it was in fact coming from Ophelia. Turning in her saddle, she froze as she noticed how rigid the dragon was. Every muscle the black-scaled reptile possessed was pulled tight, her eyes dilated and wings slightly spread. Lena pulled Shadowmere to a halt, causing the line to stop as she leapt from the saddle.

"What do you think you are doing!?" the bald man barked angrily as Lena began walking toward her dragon.

"Ophelia is claustrophobic," she said simply as she moved to Ophelia's side, shoving past Baldy as he attempted to block her path. Orik's face paled at her words, no doubt realizing that a dragon having a panic attack in such a place would be a bad idea. He barked a few short words in dwarvish as Ophelia lowered her head to her Rider, the woman pressing her head against the dragon's snout as she sent warm waves of comfort to her partner. She was getting a bit better at the Mental Magics.

 _What happen, Ophelia?_ Lena asked as she wrapped her mind around the dragon's. _You were fine last night._

 _So much was happening, I did not realize how uncomfortable I was until we started walking,_ Ophelia whimpered in reply as she gave a small whine.

Lena blinked in surprise as the dragon whine like a frightened hound. In the nearly five months they had been together, Ophelia had never been afraid of anything. Now she felt so…broken.

The werewolf grinded her teeth together. _Listen to me, love. You just need to last long enough to get out of these tunnels. I don't doubt there is an opening up ahead,_ she said as she pulled her dragon into a tight hug. _Just breath slowly and deeply and you'll be fine._

The black dragon took a deep breath and nodded, her body relaxing slightly as she began to take long, deep breaths. Her Rider gave a short nod and returned to Shadowmere, shooting Baldy a smug look as she stuck her tongue out at him from her saddle. The man's face reddened as Eragon and Murtagh chortled behind her.

The rest of the journey continued without issue, the ragtag group moving in silence as the horses walked at a brisk pace down the unerringly straight corridor. Every now and then Lena would look back at her male companions. Murtagh was straight faced as his eyes flickered left and right, no doubt looking for any sign of betrayal from the Varden. Eragon looked anxious, which was understandable given the circumstances. He was just some farm boy with a seemingly impossible destiny thrusted upon him. He had lost his uncle and his mentor, and was now inside a mountain that was occupied by a rebel faction, the leader of which they were now going to meet.

To Lena, it was just plain ironic. She had fought tooth and nail to put down Ulfric's rebellion, and here she was, planning to work alongside a rebellion on a whole other world. The Gods had one heck of a sense of humor. She was only hoping that this 'Ajihad' could help her find Serana. And she hoped beyond hope at her lover was safe. But the light in the crystal said something was severely wrong with the Vampire, and that had the Werewolf worried sick. Luckily, she was an expert at hiding her emotions, so as not to worry her companions. A trick she had picked up from the Thieves Guild.

The half-elf was shaken from her thoughts as her sensitive eyes caught a soft white light far ahead of them. She could feel Ophelia's body loosen even more at the sight of sunlight. The light increased in strength as they approached it, and Lena could tell that the masterfully crafted marble pillars were meant to build up suspense for visitors. Lena couldn't help but grin. These Dwemer were far different from the ones back home.

Scores of lanterns hung between the ruby and amethyst laced pillars, suffusing the air with liquid brilliance, an effect she had seen only a few times before in crystal caves. Gold tracery gleamed from the pillars' bases like molten tread, as carved raven heads arched over the ceiling, their beaks open in mid-screech. At the end of the hallway rested two colossal doors of the finest Ebony, rectangular openings carved in the metal to let the light through. The doors were accented by shimmering silver lines that depicted a seven-pointed crown that spanned across both doors.

The bald man raised a hand. Lena was tempted to keep moving just to piss him off as she pulled the shadow horse to a stop. Baldy turned to them and pointed to her and Eragon. "You will ride your dragons now. Do not attempt to fly away. There will be people watching, so remember who and what you are."

Lena stuck her tongue out at him and chortled at his red face. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly the most serious person around. And if Ophelia wants to fly after being in that damned tunnel for so long, I say let her. Not much any of us can do to stop a twenty-ton dragon." She said as she leapt from Shadowmere, the horse nickering and trotting into the shadows to return to the spirit world as she made her way to Ophelia as Eragon moved to Saphira.

Reaching out to touch Eragon's, Saphira's and Ophelia's minds, she said, _They're trying to show us off. Smile, wave a bit to the people, do something, ANYTHING friendly to lessen their fear. Because they do fear us, make no mistake._

Lena refrained from donning her helmet, aware that her demonic looking armor would only serve to terrify the masses more than they most likely already were. Best they see her face to settle their nerves.

Ophelia shook herself as Orik and the bald man retreated to either side of the black dragon, far enough back so that she was clearly in the lead, with Saphira coming up close behind. The doors began to open, more light spilling through as they glided outward with barely a whisper. Lena narrowed her eyes to protect them from the searing sunlight. When her eyes adjusted, her jaw dropped open in awe.

They were inside a massive volcanic crater, easily a hundred times larger than Blackreach. The cavernous walls narrowed to a small, ragged opening far above, easily about thirty miles up from Lena's estimate. A soft beam of sunlight fell through the opening, illuminating the crater's center, thought it left the outskirts in a hushed twilight that reminded her of dusk in Solstheim, minus the volcanic ash from the Red Mountain.

The crater's far side, hazy blue in the distance, looked to be ten to fifteen miles away. Absolutely massive icicles hundreds of feet thick and thousands of feet long hung leagues above them like massive Icy Spears. If any of those fell, anyone struck by one of those behemoths would be dead in an instant. Anyone close by would be frozen solid. Further down the cavern walls was massive blankets of mass and lichen that covered the stones.

Lower down, a wide cobblestone path extended from the doors' threshold and ran straight to the center of the crater, where it ended at the base of a snowy-white mountain that glittered like an exquisitely formed, uncut diamond lit up with a thousand different lights. The mountain was about a mile high, so it looked much smaller that everything around it.

"Look well, Riders, for none of your order has set eyes upon this for night over a hundred years. The airy peak under which we stand is Farthen Dûr—discovered thousands of years ago by the father of our race, Korgan, while he tunneled for gold. And in the center stands our greatest achievement: Tronjheim, the City-Mountain built from the purest marble." The doors slid shut behind them.

"By Akatosh…this…is the most incredible thing I have ever set eyes upon," Lena whispered as she stared at the City-Under-The-Mountain. She turned to Orik with a grin upon her face. "Even if things go sour, I thank you for the chance to witness this, Master Dwarf."

Orik and all the dwarven guards smiled widely at her words as she turned back around in her saddle. That was when her eyes fell upon the crowd. The dense sea of people clustered around the tunnels entrance, lining the cobblestone pathway until about half a mile from the city. Humans and Dwarves alike stood silent as the grave, staring at the dragons in what appeared to be both awe and terror. She could see children in filthy clothes, hardy men with scarred knuckles, women in ragged, homespun dresses and stout, weathered dwarves who finger their beards. There had to be a few thousand at the very least, all squashed together as they attempted to get a better look at the Dragon Riders with the collective expression of a wounded animal when a predator was nearby and escape was impossible.

Lena put on a warm smile, pulling her Wolf and Dragon back into herself to keep anyone from doing something stupid out of fear, before she raised her gauntleted hand to give a short wave before Ophelia started forward slowly, her head swiveling back and forth as her crimson, gem-like eyes scanned the crowd curiously.

A single cheer broke the silence. Some clapped loudly. For a single, brief second, every thing was silent as Lena braced herself. That was when a wild roar swept through the crowd, a wall of sound smashing into her sensitive ears as she gritted her teeth.

"Well done," said the bald man as Lena rubbed her ear. "Now start walking." His tone was snide and superior. Lena smirked as her right hand glowed bright red.

A split second later, Baldy was dancing on the spot, hooting like a drunken monkey as the crowd began to roar in laughter. Eragon and Murtagh shot each other confused glances before they both looked to her. Lena shrugged innocently as Baldy tried to pick through a dwarf's beard. Ophelia and Saphira snorted smoke as they chuffed in amusement. At the sight of the black clouds, the crowd quieted and shrank back for a moment, before they resumed cheering, much more enthusiastic than before.

Ophelia's head reared back as her head turned left and right in confusion as Lena chuckled. _You're a natural, young one._ She said with a light smile as she nodded to the crowd.

 _I didn't even do anything._ Ophelia looked at her Rider with a confused expression.

 _You didn't really have too. These people grew up on stories of the Old Riders, it's natural for them to be enamored with Dragons._ Lena replied as she gave another short wave.

Lena kept her head on a swivel, her time with the Dark Brotherhood having taught her to always be aware of her surroundings as she examined the crowd. The humans were outnumbered by the Dwemer a couple hundred to one…and many of the short beings glared resentfully. A few even turned their backs, though most stayed to stare at her Daedric Armor. Lena smirked. Best way to win a dwarf's respect: Forge something they've never seen before, with materials they've never even heard of.

The humans had the appearance of Nords. Hard, tough folk, most of whom were armed for war. The men all had either daggers or swords at their waists, while the women usually had concealed knives here and there. They held themselves proudly, but with a deep abiding weariness. The few children and babies she could see clearly stared at the Dragon Riders with large, awe-filled eyes.

Just from looking at these people, Lena could tell they had all been through Hell, and they would all fight to the last to defend themselves.

The Varden had found the perfect hiding place. Farthen Dûr's walls were too high for a dragon to fly over, and the only way they could break through the hidden door was if the enemy had a few hundred Legendary-class Destruction Mages all firing all at once. And that was if they actually found the doorway.

The crowd followed closely behind them, giving the dragons plenty of room to move. Gradually the people quieted down; to the relief of her poor ears; though their attention remained on the Riders. Looking back, Lena saw that Murtagh was riding stiffly, his face bone white. Lena frowned slightly.

They neared the city-mountain, and Lena could see that the white marble of Tronjheim was highly polished and shaped into flowing contours, as if it had been poured into place, which gave the werewolf many ideas for a new Keep. It was dotted with countless round windows framed with elaborate carvings. A colored lantern hung in each window, casting a soft glow on the surrounding rock. She couldn't spot any turrets or smokestack, which was a major defense oversight if she ever saw one. directly ahead, two thirty-foot gold griffins guarded a massive timber gate—recessed twenty yards into the base of Tronjheim—which was shadowed by thick trusses that supported an arched vault far overhead.

When they reached Tronjheim's base, the gate rumbled open as hidden chains slowly raised the mammoth beams, revealing a hall with walls lined with fluted pillars of blood-red jasper. Between the pillars hulked statues of creatures that looked like Falmer, Giants, and trolls to the Dovahkiin.

A four-story-high passageway extended straight toward the center of Tronjheim. The top three levels were pierced by rows of archways that revealed gray tunnels curving off into the distance. Clumps of people filled the arches, eagerly watching Lena, Ophelia, Eragon and Saphira. On the ground level, the archways were barred by stout doors. Rich tapestries hung between the different levels, embroidered with heroic figures and tumultuous battle scenes. Lena scowled at the battles. Such bloody affairs were nothing to celebrate or commemorate. Such things should stay in the past where they belonged.

A cheer rang in their ears as the Dragons stepped into the hall and paraded down it. Lena grinned and raised her right fist in the air with her forefinger and thumb sticking out, her own personal salute. The crowd roared in approval, though many of the dwarves ignored her.

The mile-long hall ended in an arch flanked by black onyx pillars. Yellow zircons three times the size of a large man capped the dark columns, coruscating piercing gold beams along the hall. Ophelia and Saphira stepped through the opening side by side, then stopped and craned back their heads, humming deeply in their chests. Lena frowned slightly at the reptiles.

They were in a circular room, about a thousand feet across, that reached up to Tronjheim's peak a mile overhead, narrowing as it rose. The wall were lined with arches—one row for each level of the city-mountain—and the floor was made of polished carnelian, upon which was etched the same symbol that was hammered upon Orik's helm—a hammer girdled by twelve silver pentacles.

The room was a nexus for four hallways—including the one they had just exited—that divided Tronjheim into quarters. Lena nodded at the efficiency of dwarven architecture. Much better than the maze of tunnels and mines left by the Dwemer. The halls were identical except for the one opposite the companions. To the right and left of that hall were tall arches that opened to descending stairs, which mirrored each other as they curved underground. That was when Lena looked up. Her mouth dropped open again. To her left, she heard the boys gasp as they beheld what she and the dragons had.

High above her head, the ceiling was capped by a dawn-red star sapphire of monstrous size. The jewel was twenty yards across and nearly as thick. Its face had been carved to resemble a rose in full bloom, and so skilled was the craftsmanship, the flower seemed to be alive. A wide belt of lanterns wrapped around the edge of the sapphire, which cast striated bands of blushing light over everything below. The flashing rays of the star within the gem made it appear as if a giant eye gazed down at them. Having been to Sovengarde; where the Aedra had a habit of poking their giant faces into the sky; it was a bit disconcerting.

Despite that, Lena could only gape in awe even as her Thief instincts kicked in and she started making plans for how to steal the massive gem. Plans best left until she had a few hundred fellow thieves to aid her in the heist.

The Dragonborn was shaken from her thoughts as Orik spoke up. "You'll need to go on foot from here."

The crowd above booed at his words, at which the Dwarf only shook his head with a light chuckle. Eragon and Lena leapt off their dragons as Murtagh swung off Tornac. A dwarf with auburn hair and a quad-braided beard took the horses by the reins and led them away. Both Riders took up positions by their dragons, with Saphira prodding Murtagh between the two reptiles. Ophelia barely gave the teen a cursory glance before Orik led them across the carnelian floor to the right-handed hallway.

They followed it for several hundred feet, then entered a smaller corridor. Their guards remained despite the cramped space. After four sharp turns; right, right, left right; they came to a massive cedar door, stained black with age. Orik pulled it open and conducted everyone but the guards inside.

* * *

The companions entered an elegant, two-story study paneled with rows of cedar bookshelves. Lena was drooling at the massive number of books within the room, just waiting to be read. A wrought-iron staircase wound up to a small balcony with two chairs and a reading table. White lanterns hung along the walls and ceiling so a book could be read anywhere in the room. The stone floor was covered by an intricate oval rug. At the far end of the room, a man stood behind a large walnut desk.

He had the appearance of a Redguard, his skin the color of oiled ebony. The dome of his head was shaved bare, but a closely trimmed black beard covered his chin and upper lip. Strong features shadowed his face, and grave, intelligent eyes lurked under his brow. His shoulders were broad and powerful, emphasized by a tapered red vest embroidered with gold thread and clasped over a rich purple shirt. He bore himself with great dignity, exuding an intense, commanding air.

Having stood in the presence of God-level beings and ancient dragons that could kill her in a second, Lena wasn't impressed.

The man spoke, his voice strong and confident: "Welcome to Tronjheim, Eragon and Saphira. I am Ajihad. Please, seat yourselves."

Ajihad turned to Lena then, his eyes narrowing as he beheld her and Ophelia. "I am afraid I have no knowledge of a second free Rider. Brom mentioned nothing of you in his letters, my lady."

Lena stood straight and gave a short bow, her eyes never leaving Ajihad's. "I am Lena Nirvana, of Skyrim. I never met Brom. Ophelia and I joined these three misfits while they were travelling through the desert. That being said, I am honored to meet one of your stature, Ajihad."

The dark-skinned man seemed to look her over for a moment before he hummed in approval and motioned for her to sit. As she did, he looked behind them with a confused expression. "Orik," he barked. "Where is the Twin?"

Orik opened his mouth to explain when the subject of discussion came barreling through the doors, tackling said dwarf to the ground with a monkey screech. Orik blanched in surprise as the bald man started picking through his beard.

Lena couldn't hold herself any longer. Her head reared back as she roared in laughter, her voice echoing through the room as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. Ophelia was chuffing in amusement, puffs of dark smoke blasting from her nostrils as she watched her Rider roll back and forth in her chair as Ajihad stared at her as though she were stark raving mad.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he roared, eyes darkening in fury as the Dovahkiin continued to laugh at the sight of her (minor) foe acting like a drunken monkey.

"I-I'm sorry," she wheezed as she tried to calm herself, Eragon and Murtagh shaking their heads in amusement, even as they sighed in exasperation. "I couldn't help myself! He was just so…arrogant and condescending, I had to take him down a peg or two."

Ajihad was not amused. "You will undo your witchcraft on—" His voice boomed through the room, a tone that expected, demanded to be obeyed. He cut himself off as Lena's mirth immediately faded as her eyes hardened at his tone. The man must have seen the fire in her eye as she stared him down with a look that had made Elder Dragons turn tail and run.

"I will undo my magic when he and that twat hiding behind the pillar apologize to me and my friends. I told the one hiding behind the pillar that I would allow no one within my mind but those I trust absolutely. Or at the very least, someone more trust worthy than them. He didn't listen and tried to force his way in. The one who thinks he's a monkey right now was probing my mind the entire time we were walking over here. He's lucky I didn't just turn him to ash."

Ajihad's eyes widened as he turned to the pillar in question to see a man identical to the man hooting like a chimp staring at the armored woman with fury in his eyes.

"My primary reasons for being here," Lena's voice pulled Ajihad's eyes back to her, "Is to ensure Eragon and Saphira's safety and to find a close friend of mine. That being said, from what I've heard of the Black King, I am looking to ally myself with the Varden." The man seemed pleased with her words, though his face soured slightly as she continued. "However, I will not be a part of the Varden. I have no interest with politics. I will not be ordered about like a hound on a leash, nor will I be at a person's beck and call simply because they think themselves my better."

The man looked infuriated for a moment before his let loose a long breath and waved a hand at the Twin who was not currently eating bugs off the floor. The man's face turned bright red as he sputtered in outrage, but a single glare from Ajihad had the man stepping forward, grumbling with every step.

He seemed to chew over his words for several moments before he opened his mouth. "My brother and I…apologize for our actions. Had we been aware that one as powerful as yourself was before us, we would've been more cautious—GRRK!" he choked as a black taloned gauntlet wrapped around his throat and the werewolf lifted him off the ground with ease.

"That is not an apology, little man." Lena growled as her eyes bled to crimson. "That is essentially you saying that the next time you try something stupid, you won't be so straight forward."

The man's face was turning purple as he scrabbled at her metal-clad hand. Turning to Ajihad, her face was set in a scowl. "This is how your people apologize to those they have wronged?" the woman scoffed as Eragon and Murtagh gaped at her. "He should have stopped himself at 'our actions'. Cause now he's on my 'Will kill for looking at me the wrong way' list. It's a very short list."

Ajihad stared at the woman's crimson eyes silently before her hand opened and the Twin fell to his knees, gasping for breath. "However, even if he did screw himself royally, he did apologize so…"

She raised her right hand and snapped her fingers, a small spark of black-red energy snapping the air as the Twin eating the bug choked as his mind came back to him. Slapping a hand over his mouth, he quickly stood and made for the door, gagging disgustingly as he bolted.

The woman seated herself, eyes fading back to golden-green as she made herself comfortable with a self-confident smile on her face as she watched the Leader of the Varden with hawk-like focus.

They sat in silence for several minutes, Ajihad, Eragon, Saphira and Murtagh staring at the armored woman as though she were insane. Ophelia was impassive, as she was more than aware that her Rider could have done much worse to the bald magician.

Finally, Ajihad spoke. "You have placed me in a difficult position by refusing to be examined. You were allowed into Farthen Dûr because the Twins led me to believe they could control you and King Hrothgar vouched for you. Seeing as the Twins are both powerless to stop you, that makes my job harder than it needs to be."

He turned to Eragon and Saphira. "You, I allowed because Brom constantly sent us letters, informing me of your allegiances and goals. They aligned with the Varden's enough to allow you in without examination and—"

"You shouldn't be poking through people's heads anyways." Lena interrupted, eyes narrowed at Ajihad. "That is the ultimate infraction on a person's privacy, for the mind is an individual's greatest sanctuary. Only those the person in question trusts without a doubt should be allowed with that person's mind. Otherwise, you are no better than the Black King."

Ajihad nodded tiredly. "You think I do not know this? I would much rather allow people in without intruding upon their minds. However, we have had so many assassins and saboteurs enter the Mountain that we have been left no other choice."

"It's called keeping them under observation via magic. The instant they contact the Traitor for orders, you know who they are and you can deal with them." Lena said simply, looking at the claws of her gauntlet with disinterest. "Considering that I'm the head of an Assassin's guild back in my homeland, I know all the best spells for keeping track of targets. And how do you know that they," she motioned to the Twin, who had retreated to the shadows beneath the pillar, "Aren't working for the king themselves?"

The man scowled at her insubordinate tone, at which she shrugged nonchalantly. "I get it, you have to be careful about who you let in. But tearing through their minds and letting those two idiots get it into their heads that they can do whatever they want is not the way to run a rebellion."

"And what would you know of running a rebellion!?" Ajihad snapped, his fist slamming on the table top.

"Considering I helped put down a rebellion back home, a great deal," she replied simply, not even flinching at the man's outburst. "You run a rebellion by giving people a reason to hope. Not by filling their heads with false promises or delusions of grandeur. But by telling them the hard truths and proving that you are trying to be better than what you fight against. It's not perfect, but it is far better than letting those two idiots force themselves upon everyone who comes through the door."

Ajihad seemed to mull over her words for a time before he sighed in exhaustion. "We will continue that specific conversation at a later date. You," he turned to Murtagh. "I take it you are unwilling to be examined as well?"

"If it makes you feel better, once Arya is awake, I'd let her take a peek at my brain. Just a peek though, not enough to learn my deepest, darkest mind you." Lena cut in as Murtagh opened his mouth to respond. She shot him a look that said 'Don't speak.' He nodded in understanding "From what little I've heard of the elves, she is much more trust worthy than the Twins. Or you could just ask me what you want to know. I make a point not to lie as much as possible. And when I make a promise, I try to keep it."

Ajihad gaped at the woman. Understandable considering she was going back and forth like that little toy one of the Riften Orphanage kids had; the little wheel on a string. Whatever else that might have been said was postponed as Lena felt the pouch containing the crystal heat up. Her carefree grin faded in an instant and she quickly undid the drawstring before pulling out the tracking crystal. Her blood ran cold. The once golden light was now a dim yellow, the light fading fast. Her lover was dying. "Serana…" the name slipped out before her head turned to her dragon.

Sensing her Rider's thoughts, Ophelia stretched her mind out in search for the dying vampire. _I have her! She is several halls over, in much pain._ The dragon's eyes widened before she roared in fury, shaking the room as Eragon, Murtagh and Ajihad covered their ears, Saphira backing up quickly in shock. _THE TWINS ARE TORTURING HER!_

 _WHAT!?_ Lena snapped as she looked toward the pillar the Twin had been standing under. Somehow, he had slipped out without her realizing it. She cursed profusely before she made for the door, ignoring Ajihad's call for her to stop and Eragon's to wait for him as she unleashed a blast of magic strong enough to blast the massive doors off their hinges. Ophelia pushed Serana's location into her mind and off the Dovahkiin ran, boots clanking as metal struck stone.

 _Hang on Serana!_

 _ **Serana Volkihar, Daughter of Coldharbour**_

Serana was starving. She was bleeding. She was dying. When she had arrived in Tronjheim, it had been easy to avoid detection, having woken up in a back alley and gone from there, picking up the gist of her current situation as she listened in on the citizens. She had kept her head down and only ever drunk enough to keep her sated for a week or so, wiping her donor's memory and healing the wound to keep from forcing Vampirism upon them. It had worked too, until she had woken up about a month ago chained to a wall with a set of Twin mages standing before her. Apparently, she had fed from one of their underlings, and they had managed to track her down and capture her as she slept. And yes, Vampires do sleep. They just don't sleep as often as mortals do.

Over the past month, they had tortured her, tried digging into her mind, tried to bind her to them as Lena might bind an atronach to her. Not that it had worked. It wasn't all in vain though. They had talked about how the Black King would reward them for bringing her power to him. _Fucking traitors…_ Serana may not have been from Alagaësia, but even she knew that the Black King was a tyrant that needed to be stopped.

 _Lena…_ she thought numbly as one of the Twin's dragged a knife along her arm, her vampiric blood flowing out of the wound to be gathered in a large barrel. They had discovered the power of her blood about three weeks in, after seeing her forcefully heal herself after one of their sessions and had set about collecting it the next day. _I wish I could see you, Lena…_

Without blood, she had been growing weaker and weaker. She was terrified of dying. She had never been more scared in her long life than she was at that moment. Not when Lena had opened her coffin, ready to bring Stormfang down to cleave her in two, not when they fought a dragon together for the first time and Lena took a barbed tail to the chest. Not when Lena had turned into a seven-and-a-half-foot-tall werewolf and had torn apart a gang of bandits who had thought to threaten Serana, and not when Lena had taken Miraak's disgusting sword through her chest during their final fight against the wanna-be god.

Serana hissed in pain as the other Twin joined in, dragging a serrated blade across her stomach, allowing her cold blood to pour down her abdomen, not bothering to keep his filthy hands to himself as he groped her breast.

That was when the presence hit, filling her mind and wrapping around her like a warm cloak, washing the pain away like the ocean washing away the sand on a beach. She tried to block it out, but she was too weak, and the presence too strong. But it didn't attack. Instead, she felt horror and concern bloom from it, before it was replaced by such powerful fury, had she possessed the strength, she would've shied away from it.

 _Hold fast, Serana,_ it said, sounding like a young woman as it wrapped around her mind tighter. _Help is coming._

 _Who…who are you?_ She asked tiredly, her eyes drifting shut as her cold heart fluttered from the loss of blood.

 _I am Ophelia_ , the woman responded proudly, her voice soothing, the fury held at bay as she kept the pain of Serana's body away. _Help will be there in three…two…one…_

 **BANG!**

The door was torn off its hinges as a familiar voice roared in fury, powerful words blasting from her maw. " _ **GRAVUUN DO EK!**_ "

Her eyes fluttered open, her heart soaring at the sight of familiar Daedric armor, the crimson eyes glowing in the shadows of the helm filled with familiar fury as her savior's clenched fists caught fire. Black-red flames that could only be described as Hell-Fire licked the ebony metal, hissing and spitting as Serana's lover poured her rage into the magic.

" _ **ZU'U FEN KRII HI FAH DAAR!**_ " Lena roared as she charged, her Voice shaking the room as her flaming fist collided with the closest Twin's face, the man's skull deforming around her fist as his flesh melted, the man dying instantly. At his death, his Twin screaming in agony at his brother's death. Serana's lover whirled on him as he cried out in some unknown tongue, a shockwave striking the warrior woman as the man cast some kind of spell. Unfortunately for him, Daedric armor had a natural resistance to all kinds of magic and he hadn't taken the time to put his magic together correctly, so his spell splashed against the Daedric metal harmlessly and fizzled out.

Lena roared in fury as she tackled the robed man, her heavy armor crushing them man's bones as she landed on top of him, her hand wrapped around his throat. Serana could only watch in morbid satisfaction as the enraged werewolf tore the man's head clean off, showering the armored woman in a spray of crimson blood that had Serana's stomach growling, before her lover threw her head back and unleash a roar worthy of a millennia old dragon.

The werewolf growled as she dropped the man's head, her shoulders heaving as she caught her breath. As if just realizing she was there for a reason, Lena whirled around and ran to her lover's side, tearing off her helm and tossing it aside as her crimson eyes faded back to that beautiful golden-green the vampire had come to love so much.

"Serana…" Lena choked out as she arrived at the Vampire's side, her fingers already working at the chains. "I'm so sorry I took so long to find you. Don't worry, I'll get you down and you'll be just fine."

Serana's arm fell limp as the first shackle was undone, a moan of relief falling unbidden from her lips as she felt her body try to seal the wounds. Her eyes fluttered close as her breath rattled from her chest.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING—" roared an unfamiliar male voice before he cut himself off, obviously cut off guard by the carnage.

"By the gods…" came the voice of a much younger male.

"I don't think the gods had anything to do with this," muttered a third, this one deeper than the second but higher than the first.

The vampire could only guess the three men had followed her lover as she had run to her aid. She didn't have much time to think about it as her right arm was freed and she slumped forward. She would faceplanted had Lena not caught her and gently lowered her to the cold stone floor, a flick of her wrist causing the barrels of blood to catch fire.

"Serana…?" Lena whispered as her armored hand brushed the vampire's blood matted hair out of her face.

"You saved me," rasped the vampire as she licked her lips to wet them. "Just like you always do."

"I made a promise to you, didn't I?" the woman sobbed. "I swore to protect you, no matter the cost. And when I make a promise…"

"You keep it…I _do_ know how to pick 'em." Serana finished with a pained smile.

Lena gave a choked laugh as a dark-skinned man appeared over the woman's shoulder. "I will summon the healers. Keep her alive until then."

Lena nodded numbly as she cradled Serana close to her.

 _ **Eragon**_

Eragon stepped aside as Ajihad rushed by, the man's brow furrowed into a deep scowl as he ran off to the nearest conscious guards. His friend had torn out of Ajihad's study like a bat out of hell, rushing through the maze of tunnels with impossible speed as she barreled through anyone who had tried to stop her. Eragon and Murtagh had rushed after her, the dragons coming up behind them and Ajihad behind them, following the trial of unconscious bodies until they heard the Roar. Eragon had only ever heard Saphira roar like that, and she hadn't caused primal fear to pump through his veins.

They had come to the doorway to find Lena working at the shackles of a pale skinned woman with raven-black hair and molten gold eyes dressed in naught but a ragged shift, the woman's ivory skin covered in fresh slashes that oozed blood. The Twins were both dead on the floor, one with his face caved in and the flesh around his skull scorched, the other missing his head entirely, his skull discarded across the room with a horrified expression frozen on his face.

Eragon felt his eyes warm as Saphira began to look through them, surprise reverberating through her mind. She told us that she was a dragon in all but body but…I don't think I believed it until now, she whispered across their bond. Eragon agreed with her. Lena had been efficient when killing the slavers; brutal, but efficient; either cutting them down, blasting them to ash or using her 'Thu'um' to demolish their bones. This was just…brutal. Primal rage and fury had fueled this attack.

He watched as Lena held her lover close, and from what he could see, she was as beautiful as the older woman had described. Jolting, he quickly pulled off his jerkin and moved to his friend's side, holding it out to the armored woman as he came alongside her. "Here," he said. "Use this to keep her warm until Ajihad gets back."

Lena didn't respond, instead snatching the jerkin from him and wrapping it around Serana's shoulders. The ivory skinned woman shuddered and leaned against the Dragonborn.

"You made friends," she rasped, her elegant voice scratchy and hoarse. "What a surprise."

"You say that as if I'm not a sociable person," Lena responded with a choke laugh.

Serana gave a short chuckle, before a short coughing fit set in. "Only when you're tired. Or drunk."

"That was one time, _**Dii Sil**_." Lena shook her head in amusement. Amusement that was quickly crushed as the ivory-skinned woman began coughing up blood. Lena cursed on the spot.

"You need to feed." She said as she began taking off her gauntlet.

Serana shook her head. "No! Not from you…never from you," she whimpered.

" _ **Mey Vahdin**_ , if you don't feed, you won't live long enough for Ajihad to get here. You know that I'm not skilled enough at Restoration Magic to fix this. My magic may not be able to heal you, but my blood can." She snapped, her tone filled with concern as her left gauntlet fell to the stone floor with a clang.

With one swift movement, the talons on her remaining gauntlet sliced through the flesh of her wrist, allowing blood to flow freely as Lena held her wrist before Serana's mouth. "Now drink. Before I force it down your throat."

The Vampire seemed to hesitate, torn between feeding as much as she could and refusing outright. For a moment, Eragon thought she would refuse. He was proven wrong as Serana grabbed the offered wrist and brought it to her mouth. Eragon caught of a glimpse of razor fangs where her canine teeth should've been before she bit down over the bleeding wound. He and Murtagh watched with sick fascination as the woman began to drink deeply, her eyes rolling back in her head as the hot blood rushed down her throat. Almost instantly, she began to look much better. While still ivory-skinned, she no longer looked as though she were a corpse. Her wounds were no longer pouring blood and the smaller cuts seemed to be healing on their own, leaving unblemished skin in their wake.

Lena on the other hand looked terrible. Her bronze skin was pale, her face drenched in sweat. Her golden-green eyes were dull and her breathing was heavy. But she didn't stop the Vampire. Eragon tried to move forward to pull Lena's wrist from Serana's mouth, but a strong hand stopped him. Looking back, he saw that Ajihad had returned with five gray robed individuals, two of which were dwarves, all of whom were staring at what was happening before them. Ajihad himself was watching the Vampire feed with critical eyes, taking in every detail and cataloguing every aspect of the act for later questioning.

After what felt like ages, but was probably only a few more seconds, Serana tore her mouth away from Lena's bloody wrist, looking far healthier than she had a few moments before. Lena on the other hand looked terrible. Her bronze skin was bone white, her gold-green eyes dull. Her face was gaunt, drenched in sweat and she was breathing heavily as she slumped slightly, only to be caught by her ivory-skinned lover.

"Damn it, Lena!" Serana cursed as she pushed up the Dovahkiin. "I told you to let it be."

"And I told you that you wouldn't last three more minutes if you didn't feed," the elven woman rasped. "And you and I both know that my blood is much better than some random guy of the street."

Serana shook her head as Ajihad snapped his fingers and the group of gray robed men moved forward, the two dwarves laying Lena down flat as the humans began chanting, their hands glowing yellow, brown, and gray. Eragon watched from his position by the door, Murtagh by his side. After several minutes of silence, Lena began to look much better and her breathing was much smoother.

The three humans shuddered as they finished their healing, leaning back on their hands as they began to breath heavily. The two dwarves asked something of Serana, the ivory-skinned woman nodding slowly as she laid down next to the Dragonborn, the dwarves immediately getting to work as the woman stared at her snoring lover.

A tap on his shoulder had Eragon turning to see Ajihad, who was motioning for him to follow. With a silent nod and a glance at Murtagh, he followed the man out into the hall.

"Explain what I saw in there," was all Ajihad said, his voice low.

Eragon shot a glance at the door, where he could just barely see an unconscious Lena laying in the floor, a line of drool dripping from her mouth as she snored quietly. Technically, it wasn't his responsibility to tell, but seeing as Lena wasn't able to and Ajihad was Leader of the Varden…

"Lady Serana is what is called a Vampire. From what Lena told us, Vampires are immortal beings that need to drink blood to survive. Seeing as she was being tortured and was having her blood drained from her, I can only assume that she required a large amount of blood to stay alive long enough for you to arrive with the healers. She didn't want to drink from Lena, but Lena was insistent that she feed."

Ajihad mulled over the tidbit of information for several moments before he looked Eragon in the eye. "Is she a danger to the people of the Varden?"

Eragon quickly shook his head. "No, sir. Lena assured us that Serana has no interest in hurting those who don't deserve it. From what Lena told us, Serana's father caused more than enough pain, and she only wants to live her life as best she can."

Ajihad fell silent for a time, eyes locked on the unconscious woman as the healers cast a few more minor spells over her. After several more minutes of silence, the dark-skinned man nodded slowly. "Very well. I welcome you and your companions to the Varden. Explanations will come later, when all of you are well enough to speak with me. Until then, you and your dragons shall stay in the Dragon Hold. Your weapons shall be returned to you soon, and as soon as she is able, Arya will test you on your skill with magic and with a blade."

Eragon gaped at the man, but nodded slowly, deciding that it might be best to keep quiet in case he said something stupid, which seemed to be a running theme with him. Ajihad nodded in return. He cast a final glance at Lena's unconscious form, before he turned and walked down the hallway, the dragons shifting to make room for him as his guards took up positions alongside him.

Eragon let out a long breath. _That went better than expected._

* * *

 _ **AN: Okay so multiple things before we end.**_

 _ **1: A guest asked me what i meant by 'faceplate slid open'. Put simply, my younger brother asked me how the Dovahkiin used their Shouts without blowing the front of their helmets off. So it gave me the idea that Lena made a function that allowed her to use her Thu'um without destroying her equipment. By opening the faceplate of her helm.**_

 _ **2: I understand that the magic in my story seems to be a bit...off compared to the game. That's because in Skyrim, you constantly hear about people being turned into animals or driven insane with magic, but you can't do it since everything is all practical to your journey. Hell, that Dark Elf from the College of Winterhold (whos name I can't remember for the life of me) turns you green and then into several different animals. Is it really so hard to make some jackass with imagined power think he's a drunk chimpanzee?**_

 _ **3: Before you start complaining about the vampirism thing, the one thing I have always hated about Skyrim Vampires is that they get weaker as they drink and stronger as they fast. Which makes no sense whatsoever. So I realigned the Vampire thing with mythology and went from there.**_

 _ **4: And for those of you who are no doubt going to rail on me for killing off the Twins- out of all the characters in the Inheritance Cycle, i hated them the third most, right under Durza. They were cruel and power-hungry and arrogant beyond belief. They nearly got Eragon killed multiple times during the Battle of Farthen Dur, killed Ajihad and stole Murtagh and betrayed the Varden over and over with nobody even knowing they were traitors. So yes, I killed them brutally and swiftly, so that they would get what was coming to them early on. Don't like it? Tough, its my story.**_

 _ **Anyways, sorry for the lengthy note, onto the translations!**_

 _ **Dragon Tongue Translations:**_

 _ **GRAVUUN DO EK!: Fall from her! (Its the closest thing i could get to 'Get away from her!)**_

 _ **ZU'U FEN KRII HI FAH DAAR!: I will kill you for this!**_

 _ **Dii Sil: My Heart**_

 _ **Mey Vahdin: Fool Woman**_

 _ **Thank you for reading and have a nice day!**_

 _ **P.S. Anyone who can point out all the little Easter Eggs i put in from other games gets virtual cookies and i will mention you at the beginning of the next chapter. PEACE!**_


End file.
